Chasing Shadows
by Kris6
Summary: With Sunnydale gone, the Scoobies go to L.A. but when Cordy has a vision, Faith has no choice but go home and face her past.
1. The Vision

Chasing Shadows

Disclaimer: _Tru Calling _and _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _don't belong to me.

Spoilers: None really for _Tru Calling_, but it helps to have seen the Pilot. The end of _BtVS._

Pairing: We'll just have to see won't we? ;)

Summary: With Sunnydale gone, the Scoobies flee to L.A. for some down time with Angel and his gang, but when Cordy has a vision; Faith has no choice but to face her past.

A/N: I don't have any _Angel _spoilers, so if anything seems like it doesn't fit exactly with the show, then I have changed it to suit this story.

Cordy glances up from the work she is pretending to do on the computer in front of her for the hundredth time in the last fifteen minutes. Sure enough, Faith is still sprawled across the couch reading a copy of some magazineand Cordy narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"What's wrong Queen C?" Faith asks casually without looking up from the picture of a honey roasted turkey and mashed potatoes.

Cordy jumps slightly and scowls at the poorly concealed smirk on Faith's face. She clears her throat to regain her composure. "Since when did you like Martha Stewart?" She asks.

Faith looks up from the magazine. "It's not my fault that Soul Boy only subscribes to _Martha Stewart Living_," she counters before looking back down and flipping a few more pages to see a close up of Key Lime Pie. She sighs and sets down the magazine to find Cordy still watching her. "I take you're not a fan?" Faith guesses.

Cordy smirks and opens her mouth to respond, but instead grimaces in pain and holds her head as a vision hits her. Faith, who has never witnessed one of Cordy's visions, rushes to her side to see if she is all right. She leads the Seer over to the couch where she was previously lounging on and lets Cordy lay down while she goes to get her a glass of water. "Are you okay?" She asks with concern as she returns, awkwardly holding the glass in her hand.

Cordy blinks rapidly for a moment before she focuses on Faith's question and gratefully accepts the water. "Uh, yeah," she stammers before looking at anything except Faith.

Faith sighs and knows it has something to do with her. "What did you see?" She asks with a little impatience. When there is no response, Faith narrows her eyes. "I don't go all evil again do I?" 

Cordelia looks up at Faith with an empathetic expression. She sighs and rubs her eyes. "I saw you die," she whispers and Faith can barely hear her.

"What?" A stricken Faith asks as her back tenses. "How?" She finds herself asking before her mouth is able to consult with her brain.

"You looked kind of different," Cordy muses. "Longer hair I think and lab coat with no leather, which is strange for you," she explains, adding the last part as an afterthought with a hint of confusion in her tone.

Faith's stomach sinks as she begins to process what she just heard. _Please no, please no. _She repeats in her head. "Oh," she eeks out in response. "Did you see who killed her-me, did you see who killed me?" She asks, covering for her slip.

"There was a guy," Cordy says after a moment. "He was standing over you with a knife and someone grabs him and he yells something strange," she tells her scrunching up her eyebrows in thought.

"What did he say?" Faith prompts eagerly.

"He says 'True. It's the wrong one,'" Cordy tells her, her face scrunched up, not understanding what it means.

Faith takes in a shuddering breath and closes her eyes. "You rest okay? I need to use your computer really quick, okay?" Cordy just nods with a confused expression on her face, but lays down nonetheless. Faith walks over to Cordy's desk and sits down in front of the computer and logs on to the internet with a worried expression marring her features.

On the other side of the room Cordy watches as Faith types on the computer with unreadable emotions crossing her face and an intense look of concentration the whole time. She watches as Faith's face lights up as she finds what she was looking for.

Faith sits for a moment, beaming with pride over having still been able to hack her way into the files on people in Boston. After a moment she scans the names and clicks on the one she needs. _Truth Anne Davies. _She smirks as she skims through the general information until she finds the important stuff. _1423 Thomas Avenue, Apartment 13 Boston, Mass. _After a moment, she scrolls down and sees what Tru Davies is up to now. _Works at the City Morgue…that's fitting. _She smirks to herself. _Hey now! Accepted to Harvard University. _

A sense of pride washes over her as she looks at the screen after jotting down the information. However, the moment is cut short as she hears Cordy get up from the couch. Quickly she logs off so she can go upstairs.

"Do you need some help with something?" A perplexed Cordelia asks as Faith moves to go upstairs.

"No, everything is going to be fine," she yells as she runs up the steps to pack some of her things and make a call to the airport. Twenty minutes later she comes flying down the stairs, duffel bag in hand.

"Where are you going?" Cordy asks, more confused as ever, wondering if she's in some weird dream.

Faith comes to a screeching halt and looks at Cordy as if she never saw her before. After blinking rapidly a moment or so, she answers. "Home," she says simply before running out of the hotel to catch her flight.

Cordy stands there staring blankly at the door and jumps slightly when it comes flying open again. Buffy walks through the door, glancing back behind her. "Where's Faith going?" She asks Cordelia as she glances behind her again.

"She said she was going home," she answers.

"But Sunnydale is just a hole in the ground now," Buffy says with confusion.

"I think she meant Boston Buffy," Cordelia explains

Faith steps out of the airport and adjusts her bag hanging off her shoulder. She sighs and looks around and hails a cab.

"Where to?" The cab driver gruffly asks as he looks at the young woman in the back.

"2071 Jefferson," Faith mumbles from her position in the back.

"The Morgue?" The driver asks with amusement in his tone. Faith glares at him and he shakes his head. "Okay, whatever," he says shaking his head.

Fifteen minutes later they pull up to the building and Faith gets out and pays the driver. "Hey, could you tell me what time it is?" She asks before he drives off.

"Quarter to six," he says before speeding off.

"Thanks," she grumbles to herself as she walks up the steps and pulls open the door. Faith casually walks through the building, looking around for any signs of life, so to speak.

"You're early," a short bearded man comments as he notices Faith walking around.

"Huh?" Faith grunts with confusion.

"You're not supposed to be here for another fifteen minutes," he looks up from his clipboard then back down nervously.

"Oh," Faith chuckles dumbly. "I'm not Tru," she explains.

"Well you look a lot like her," he says.

"Maybe because I'm her twin sister," Faith smirks. "I'm Faith," she says, offering her hand to the man.

"I'm Davis, her boss," he introduces himself, shaking her hand. "She never told me she had a twin," he tells her.

"I've been away for a few…years," Faith says with a shrug.

Davis smirks slightly. "I, um, have to leave now, but I'll see you around then," he says, though it sounds more like a question.

"Yeah," Faith shrugs, she herself wondering about the truth in that statement. "It's okay that I wait for her here right?" She asks uncertainly.

"Oh, yes, of course. As long as you don't mind dead people," he says while bouncing from one foot to the other nervously before he smiles weakly then turns and leaves.

Faith wanders her way around the morgue until she gets to 'the Crypt'. She then just begins chuckling and shaking her head at the irony of being in a morgue. Then she hops up on the edge of one of the tables where the bodies are put.

The entrance to the room flies open as a preoccupied Tru walks in as she puts on her lab coat while talking on her cell phone. As she notices the smirking figure on the table, she drops the phone and her jaw moves up and down, but never forming any words.

"Hey," Faith says, suddenly shy. 

Without taking her eyes off Faith, she reaches down and picks up her phone. "Sorry Lindsay, something just came up," she says into the phone and hangs up without waiting for an answer. 

"Harvard, I'm impressed," Faith says with a smile.

Tru is taken aback and looks at her sister. "Where did you come from?" She asks with a sudden smile. "You disappear for seven years and here you are…in the morgue," she says.

"I bet you don't get many live people through here," Faith smirks hopping off the table.

"Not technically," Tru evades, unsure.

"Still hear dead people?" Faith nods with understanding, knowing that it's true even if her sister denies it.

"Uh, how did-never mind," Tru begins, but changing her mind as she shakes the question out of her head. "Did you just get here?" She asks.

"Yeah, I just flew in, took a cab and got here about fifteen minutes ago," Faith tells her.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?" Tru asks with concern.

"Not yet. I was going to just get a hotel room or something. I probably won't be in Boston for to long, so don't get all worried," Faith jokes.

Tru wisely decides to disregard the last part. "Why don't you just crash at my apartment. I have plenty of room," she offers.

"I don't know. I mean, I don't want to cramp your style or anything," Faith says, self consciously brushing off an invisible piece of dust off of her pants.

"Oh, please. It's no big deal," Tru replies, brushing off Faith's comment. "You came straight here from the airport?" She asks curiously.

"Uh, yeah, why?" Faith asks, scrunching up her face with confusion.

"Harrison and Meredith don't know you're here?" She asks and Faith shakes her head. "Lindsay is going to trip," Tru laughs.

"You two are still friends, that is so cool," Faith smiles.

"Oh my god, she was a mess after she found out you took off," Tru tells her while shaking her head.

"Well, I had to leave in kind of a hurry," Faith explains.

Tru had no idea how to respond, but she figured she could pursue that topic later. "I should probably take you to my apartment," she says as she starts to take off her coat.

"No, it's fine. I can find my way there," Faith shrugs.

"Let me give you my address at least," Tru says as she looks for a piece of paper.

Faith decides to humor her and takes the offered paper and key. "Thanks," she says with a genuine smile. "See you later," she says.

"Oh, yeah, I get off at midnight," Tru says. "I'll you then."

"Have fun," Faith smirks as she takes off.

Faith unlocks the door and steps into the living room area and looks around appreciatively. She puts down the key and wanders around before setting down her duffel bag next to the table in the dining area.

After a moment she hears the front door open and someone walks in and turns on the light. "Hey Tru, I thought you were at work," a startled girl asks.

Faith puts her hands on her leather-clad hips and smirks. "You look good Lindsay," she says.

A moment passes and Lindsay looks dumbfounded, then perturbed and then a look of realization crosses her face. "Faith?" She asks, venturing a guess.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How will everyone react to seeing Faith after so much time? Can Faith figure out how to help Tru? Can I follow up to this chapter in a timely manner? Find out in the next installment (which I promise will be updated soon).

P.S. I will hopefully be able to update 'Role Playing', I am just having a slight case of writer's block. Any suggestions are welcome as feedback or email me at roving chef@msn.com.


	2. Vampires?

**__**

Tru's Apartment-Boston, 7:15 pm

Faith nervously runs her fingers through her hair. "Uh, yeah," she answers, smiling weakly at the shocked expression on the blonde's face.

"Oh my god," Lindsay mumbles as she falls into a chair as if her legs gave out from underneath her. She looks up at Faith, who is standing awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other, and can't help but to smile at her. "Where have you been?" She asks finally.

Faith looks up, shocked after being torn from her musings. As the question registers, Faith breaks eye contact and looks down at her feet. "All over," she answers vaguely, not wanting Lindsay to know what kind of person she is.

Unsatisfied, Lindsay tries for a different approach. "**Why**did you leave?" She asks, angry at her wavering voice for betraying her hurt.

Faith can't help but look up at her tone. She sighs. "I was in trouble okay?" She says impatiently. After a moment, she continues. "Someone was trying to kill me and I didn't want you or anyone else to get hurt, so I ran," she explains, not lying, but not telling the whole story.

"Faith," Lindsay begins as she stands up and walks over to her. "You could have gone to any of us you know. You could have gone to the police," she reasons and Faith shakes her head.

"The police didn't stand a chance against him," she tells her. "I had to deal with him on my own…and I did," Faith says with a determined nod.

Lindsay shakes her head, trying to block out how Faith got rid of her 'problem'. "Why didn't you come home after that?" She asks.

"I wasn't needed here, so I went somewhere that I was needed," she mumbles lamely.

"You **were**needed here!" Lindsay yells and Faith takes on a shocked expression. "Things fell apart with your family after you left. Your dad became detached from the rest of your family, Meredith started doing drugs, Harrison started to get in trouble and Tru became more withdrawn," she says, giving Faith the Cliff notes version.

Faith was stunned. Once she manages to regain her wits, she tries to speak. "Lindsay, I-"

"No!" Lindsay yells angrily. "Everything went downhill after you left and nothing was able to make it the same," Lindsay all but shouts. "Why did you come back? Why now?" She asks with a sigh.

Once Faith determines that it is safe to speak again, she does so. "Tru is in trouble. Something bad is supposed to happen to her because of me," she says, not wanting to talk about anything supernatural.

"How do you know? Are you psychic now?" She asks skeptically.

"No, I'm not psychic, I just…" she trails off, not knowing how to lie herself out of this one. With a sigh, Faith realizes she's going to have to tell Lindsay the **whole**truth. _So help me God. _"Do you believe in vampires?" She asks.

Lindsay stares at Faith for a few moments as if she grew another head. "Vampires?" She asks after a minute and Faith nods. "No, I can't say that I do Faith," she answers with exasperation.

"Let's go for a walk. This is going to be a long story," Faith sighs as she ushers Lindsay to the front door.

**__**

Nearby Park-Boston, 10pm

Faith and Lindsay are sitting on a bench and Faith has just finished her story. "So?" She prompts from the girl next to her as she looks up at the sky. _Storm clouds. _She thinks idly.

Lindsay takes in a deep breath. "I don't know Faith. You disappear for years and when you come back, you have this insane story," she says and Faith just nods, knowing that it is a hard pill to swallow. "Okay then, let me get this straight. You're a vampire slayer, there's only supposed to be one at a time. You were called when you were thirteen, right so far?" She asks.

"Yeah, so far so good," Faith says, looking down at her hands.

"Then you died a few months after being called, but only for a minute. So, another slayer, Buffy, was called. So, now there are two," she says while nodding her head, as if concluding that her friend is, in fact, crazy.

"Yeah, that's it. Do you believe me now then?" Faith asks, looking around, suddenly becoming anxious.

"It's more than a little hard to believe, you have to admit," Lindsay points out. "I mean, come on, vampires?" She says incredulously with a light smile.

Faith nods with acceptance and then tilts her head to the side. "It's cool that you don't believe me. I mean, if you did then you would be afraid of that guy behind you," she shrugs noncommittally.

Lindsay cautiously turns and looks behind her and quickly stands up at the vampire's deformed face. Then, she moves behind Faith, who is already standing in a defensive position. The vampire then growls and attacks. Instead of moving, Faith bombards him with blows to the face before finishing him up with a tree branch.

As the dust settles, a wide-eyed Lindsay glances from Faith to the pile of dust. "Did that really just happen?" She wonders aloud.

Faith looks over at Lindsay, almost having forgotten she was there. "Yeah, it did," she answers. "Do you want me to go with you back to your place?" She asks with concern.

"Can we just go back to Tru's apartment?" Lindsay pleads, still staring at the pile of dust in disbelief.

Faith shrugs. "I guess so," she answers as the begin walking back.

**__**

Tru's Apartment-Boston, 12:15pm

Tru sighs as she walks into her apartment, thankful that she actually got home on her own free will. Once inside she hears the television on and goes to see if Faith is even still awake. As she walks in she notices that Faith is still awake and Lindsay is slumped against Faith, fast asleep.

Faith turns her head so as not to disturb Lindsay and smiles at her slightly older sister. Tru, in turn, smiles back, more than a little curious about Lindsay being there. Subtly, Faith waves her sister over to her so she can whisper something in her ear.

Tru walks over and bends her head down. "We need to talk tomorrow," Faith says. "And don't worry, she knows it's me," she quickly adds. 

Tru nods and goes to her room to get some much needed sleep. _Tomorrow is going to be a long day. _She thinks before going to sleep.

**__**

Angel's Hotel-Los Angeles, 9:15pm

"We need to find out where in Boston Faith is going to be," Buffy nearly shouts.

"Buffy," Willow all but whines. "We really don't **need **to," she tells her.

"Yes we do. Who knows what kind f trouble is going down? She may be in danger," Buffy argues. "We should try and find her so we can help her."

"She's from Boston, maybe she needed to see family or friends or something. She hasn't been home in at least seven years," Xander shrugs.

"He's right Buffy. If something was wrong, Faith would've told one of us," Willow says, backing up her friend.

"That's the last thing Faith would do, ask for help," Buffy grumbles, but sits down nonetheless.

"Look, Sunnydale has just sunk into the earth, if anything big was going on elsewhere she would want backup. It had to be a family thing Buff," Xander says just as Cordelia walks in.

"What are you talking about?" She asks casually as she walks through.

"Faith," they all answer in a dull tone.

At the mention of Faith, she pauses and looks at them curiously. "What about her?" She asks in a falsely neutral tone.

"What do you know?" Buffy asks in an interrogating tone and her eyes narrowing.

"I may have had a vision about her yesterday," Cordy eeks out, holding in a whimper at the blonde's tone.

"Well, what happened?" Willow asks from the other side of the room.

Cordy resigns herself with a sigh. "We were talking about Martha Stewart." she begins, earning an odd look from the others, which she wisely chooses to ignore. "Then I had a vision of this guy killing her. Another guy came over and said something to him after she died," she squints trying to remember what was said.

"What did he say?" Dawn asks, speaking up for the first time.

"It was 'True. That's not Faith'," Cordy remembers. "Then Faith got all pale, packed her stuff and left, it was so strange," she says.

"That's it?" Buffy asks with a sigh.

Cordy pauses. "No, she asked to use the computer, she wrote something down and I walked over to her. It looked like an address or something, then she just left. I don't know what the address was," she answers their unspoken question.

Xander turns to Willow. "Can you hack in and see what information she may have gotten?" He asks her, knowing full well that she can.

Willow grins mischievously. "You bet I can," she says with pride. 

Half an hour later Buffy begins to grow impatient. "Will, what's taking so long?" She asks.

Willow sighs. "It looks like Faith can do some hacking herself," she says with a little shock seeping through. "I almost…there, got it," she announces moments later. 

"What is it?" Buffy asks, moving next to Willow.

"Faith got into the files of people in Boston. One person in particular: Truth Anne Davies," she tells her as she clicks on the name.

Buffy starts to read off the personal information aloud. "Born in Boston on April 10, 1981. She just graduated from Boston University and will start at Harvard medical school in the fall," she begins.

"What could Faith need all this information on this girl for?" Xander wonders out loud.

"I don't-" Willow stops as she reaches the picture at the bottom of the file.

"What is it Will?" Buffy asks, worried for her friend as she looks at the screen. "It's Faith," she states with a bewildered expression.

"Not quite," Willow says, finding her voice again. "She has two sisters and a brother: Harrison Michael Davies, Meredith Lynn Davies and Faith Adrienne Davies," she tells them.

Buffy swallows hard. "I guess we're going to Boston," she says to everyone.


	3. Telling Tru the Truth

**__**

Angel's Hotel-Sunnydale, 10pm

"Buffy, Boston?" Xander asks incredulously. "We can't just up and go to Boston," he argues.

"Why can't we? Faith is in trouble and she needs us now," Buffy tells him and when there is no response, she turns to the others. "I'm going to book us the next flight. Pack you things and let's go," she says with determination.

Willow and Xander share a worried glance before she gets up and follows Buffy out. "We don't know what we're getting ourselves into Buffy. Faith knows about the vision so maybe she has a handle on it. She'd call if there were any problems," Willow reasons.

"We'll never know unless we go there will we?" Buffy asks with irritation. When Willow makes no response, Buffy sighs and rubs her eyes. "Look, Faith is too impulsive, she has no idea what she will be up against and she won't have any kind of backup. I can't leave her alone to deal with something again, okay Will?" She asks, or pleads rather.

Willow huffs out a resigned breath and nods. "But, I don't think everyone should just up and go, I mean, something could just come up at any moment here without anyone to stop it," she tells the blonde slayer.

"There's Angel and his crew," Buffy says. "Besides, after every apocalypse there has always been, like, three months where nothing big happened," she reasons and Willow gives Buffy her 'resolve face'. Buffy relents. "Fine. Xander, Kennedy and Giles stay here. You and Dawn are coming with me," she says, the matter settled as Willow goes to tell the others.

**__**

Tru's Apartment-Boston 7:30am

Faith is staring blankly at the ceiling, suddenly having realized she has no plan of attack and no idea who to attack if she had a plan. Added to that inner monologue, Faith is growing increasingly uncomfortable with her arm having fallen asleep somewhere around four in the morning. 

"Did you even sleep last night?" Lindsay asks as she yawns and looks up at a wide awake Faith.

Faith shakes her head. "No, still on California time," she smirks at Lindsay as Lindsay sits up and stretches.

"I never even heard of Sunnydale," she says, still a little groggy from her sleep. "I guess I never will either if it really is just a big hole in the ground now," she adds after a pause.

"So what about you?" Faith asks after a few moments of silence and Lindsay gives her a blank expression. "I recapped the last seven years last night, now it's your turn," she prods playfully.

Lindsay chuckles lightly. "Nothing quite as exciting as what's happened with you," she says as she looks at the clock on Tru's VCR. "I need to go to work," she groans.

"On a Saturday?" Faith asks incredulously. 

Lindsay nods regretfully. "I'll see you later though right? I mean, you aren't just going to up and leave again like last time right?" She asks, trying to sound less serious than what she is.

"I don't plan on it," Faith says and Lindsay realizes that that is as close to a promise as she is going to get out of Faith.

"I'll see you later then," she nods as she heads to the door with Faith following her. "I'm sorry I won't be able to see the look on Harrison and Meredith's face when they see you," are Lindsay's parting words before she exit's the apartment. At the mention of her brother and other sister, Faith's smile fades as she closes the door. 

"Hey, I would think you'd be too jet lagged to still be awake," Tru yawns as she exits her room, fully dressed, and goes into the kitchen to make coffee.

Faith just shrugs and sits down at the table to watch her sister moving around the kitchen. "You remind me of Mom," she says suddenly, softly.

Tru stops briefly to turn and look at her younger sister. "Oh yeah? How's that?" She asks.

Faith gauges Tru's reaction. "I always used to watch her in the kitchen every morning. You know, when she made coffee and breakfast," she begins. "She'd always know when I was trying to steal a piece of bacon off of the plate behind her back. She'd laugh and turn me around and tell me to go upstairs and get ready," she continues, getting lost in the memory. After the fleeting memory of their mother passes, Faith looks at her sister, who is now staring at her. "We where happy then, weren't we?" She asks with a pleading edge to her voice.

Tru stares at her sister and sees the earnest look on her face. She sighs as she sits in a chair opposite Faith. "I thought so," she says softly. "But, everything changed so fast. In an instant, everything was different. Mom was gone and Dad may has well have been too," she finishes, glaring into her mug of coffee.

Faith reaches over across the table and takes a firm hold of one of Tru's hands. "I'm sorry I left too," she says, painfully honest and trying to hold back the tears she knows are coming.

Tru looks back up at Faith. "Why did you leave Faith?" She asks quietly, but then chuckles and shakes her head. "Never mind, I know why. Things were too tense at home so you ran away," she concludes bitterly. "I was there too. So were Harrison and Meredith, but we tried to stay together, but we couldn't anymore. Not after **you **left us too," she growls.

Faith retracts her hand as if burned. She stares hard at her sister for a long moment, the two of them in a harsher version of the 'staring contest'. "I **had **no choice but to leave," she grinds out.

"Yeah, right," Tru scoffs indignantly.

"If I stayed, none of you, not you or Harrison or Meredith, would even be here to bitch at me. You were better off with me gone," she tells Tru.

"Please, you were always so secretive. Always running off in the middle of the night, always over at that British woman's house. What were you dealing drugs or something?" Tru sneers as she stands up and starts to walk away.

Faith growls and shoots out of her seat, grabs Tru by the shoulders and turns her around with so much force they nearly topple over. "Listen to me," Faith orders and Tru nods, to afraid of her sister's forcefulness to argue. Faith calms herself and drops her arms. "There are some things I need to tell you that I need you to believe me on," she says, though it sounds more like a question.

"Are you going to tell me where you went for seven years?" Tru asks timidly.

Faith swallows hard and nods. "I'm going to tell you everything," she promises and Tru smiles weakly. "Do you remember the night Mom died?" She asks and Tru nods slowly. "What do you remember about her killer?" She asks.

"His face was all weird, it looked like some kind of a mask," Tru says and Faith gestures for her to continue. "It was dark…I walked in when he was whispering something in her ear or something. Next thing I know, she's on the ground and I'm screaming as the cops bust through the door. He just, disappeared I guess," Tru recalls. "Why, what did you see?" She asks with suspicion.

"Same thing you did. Only, he wasn't whispering in her ear. He was biting her neck Tru," Faith says delicately, prompting her sister to put the pieces together.

"What, like a vampire?" Tru asks with confusion and disbelief.

"Not **like **a vampire, but **was **a vampire," Tru stares blankly at Faith after this statement. "Tru, I am a Vampire Slayer. I was called when I was thirteen, a month after Mom died, to kill vampires for the rest of my life," she admits.

"You're kidding, right?" Tru asks. "Faith, seriously, this isn't funny," she says angrily.

"I can't joke about this Tru. The British woman was my Watcher, she was like a trainer to me as a Slayer. I took off every night to slay vampires," Faith tells the other woman.

"Oh, yeah, because that's the only time they come out," Tru says mockingly.

"Tru, the first vampire I slayed was in Mansfield Cemetery," Faith says slowly.

"Where Mom is buried?" Tru asks, inexplicably interested again.

"I was with my Watcher and a vampire came out of nowhere, I raised my stake and was about to dust them, when I recognized it as Mom," Faith admits. "I couldn't stake her. But when she hit me, I had no choice," Faith says, choking back a sob. _'My dead mother hits harder than you.' _Faith leans her head on her hands as the memory of her first time slaying with Buffy hits her.

"Faith, look. You obviously need some kind of psychiatric help," Tru says as she touches her sister's shoulder lightly.

"No, it didn't even help in prison," Faith grumbles absently.

"Prison?" Tru asks, taken aback.

Faith looks up sharply, realizing what she had just said. "I guess I need to clear a few things up, huh?" She asks sheepishly and Tru stares at her, stunned. "Please, just believe me, okay?"

Tru sighs. "I guess I'll try," she resigns.

"Thank you," Faith says to express her gratitude. "So, nothing to major happened after that, until a couple years later, just after our fifteenth birthday. A vampire named Kakistos showed up and was the reason why I had to leave…"

**__**

Boston International Airport-Boston, 7:45am

"Don't blame me Buffy. You wanted the first flight out. It isn't our fault that it was a red-eye flight," Willow chides Buffy's bad mood.

"Yeah, I know, I know," Buffy yawns as Dawn comes bouncing up to them, full of energy. "Let's just find Faith," she says, scowling at her sister's perkiness.

"Good idea. I have her sister's address right here. That's probably where she most likely is at," Willow tells her as they head out of the airport to catch a cab. "1423 Thomas Avenue," she says to the cab driver as the three load into the vehicle.

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 7:55am

Tru stares at Faith in a mixture of concern and disbelief. "Faith, you have to understand that this is all just a little hard to believe," she says slowly.

Faith glares at her sister. "Tru, let me be straight with you okay?" She asks, though it is more of a statement. "I know you hear dead people in the morgue and I know you can go back to stop it from happening," she says, ignoring her sister's slackened jaw. "Is that any more unbelievable than vampires? They both are unreal and unimaginable, but they are both true and we don't have any control over these things. It's our job to make things right," she concludes.

"So, you know about the voices and aren't freaked out by it?" Tru asks and Faith nods. "I guess you're right," she concedes as she looks down and notices the time on her watch. "Oh shit!" She exclaims.

"What is it?" Faith asks cautiously as she stands up rapidly.

"Meredith and I are supposed to meet this morning before she goes to work," Tru says as she stands up and looks at Faith with a mischievous look on her face. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" She asks conspiratorially.

"We take advantage of our freakishly identical appearances by screwing with our older sister's mind?" Faith asks innocently.

Tru nods her head. "Let's," she says as they anxiously leave the apartment.

**__**

Front Door of Tru's Apartment- 8:05am

"Buffy," Dawn whines. "I don't think anyone's here, you've been knocking for, like, five minutes already," she huffs irritably.

"So, they could just be asleep," Buffy snaps.

"Or, they could be gone," Willow rationalizes. "Buffy, come on. Let's go somewhere and get some rest. We're no use to Faith all worn out and tired," she says and Dawn nods in agreement.

"Fine, but without fail, we are coming back here late this afternoon," Buffy reluctantly agrees as they all leave to find a decent hotel nearby.

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How will Meredith react to the return of her estranged sister? How will things turn out with Buffy and friends? 


	4. Meredith

**__**

Starbuck's- 8:10am

Faith strolls in and sits across from her oldest sister, who glances up before she takes another sip of her coffee. She does a double take as she takes a closer look. "What are you wearing?" She sputters as she sees the plain white t-shirt and the leather jacket and pants.

Faith pouts with an underlying smirk. "You don't like?" Faith teases.

"I…I…" Meredith stammers as she gestures to her sister's wardrobe. She takes a deep breath and a moment to compose herself. "It just doesn't seem like you," she says in response.

"Oh," Faith draws out, as if she is gaining some powerful insight. "So, this outfit is not very 'Tru Davies'. Is that what you're saying?" She asks with a barely concealed grin.

Meredith eyes her sister warily. "Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying," she tells her. There is a brief pause where Meredith keeps casting suspicious glances at Faith. "What are you up to?" She finally asks.

Faith turns to her sister and attempts to look naive. "Why do I have to be up to something?" She asks while batting her eyes with exaggerated innocence.

"Cute Tru. What, is it 'Hooker Day' at the morgue or something ?" Meredith asks. _She reminds me of someone right now, but who? _She thinks, trying to place her sister's behavior.

"That hurt Meredith, it really does. I mean, here I am spending time with my beloved older sister, who I feel like I haven't seen in years, and she thinks I'm up to something," Faith says melodramatically, feigning hurt. She catches Tru sneaking in the front door of the store and smirks.

"Aren't you?" Meredith asks with a quirked eyebrow.

"Never," Faith says with conviction before sighing. "I'm going to go get some coffee. I barely slept at all last night," she says as she stands up and walks off, leaving Meredith to stare into her near empty cup.

"What are you thinking about?" Tru asks as she takes a seat next to her perturbed looking sister.

"I'm just thinking about why you're acting so-" Meredith stops as she looks up and sees her sister dressed as she normally does. "…weird," she finishes. "I thought you were getting coffee," she says slowly.

"I was?" Tru asks, no sign of mischief in her eyes.

"I thought that's what you said you were going to do," Meredith points out.

"What are you talking about?" Tru asks. "Are you feeling okay?" She asks with concern as she reaches over to feel her sister's forehead.

"I'm sure she's feeling fine," comes a voice from behind Meredith.

Meredith turns around sharply and sees Faith, cup in hand and a smile on her face. All the color drains from Meredith's face. "Faith," she croaks out looking equal parts confused and surprised.

"Yeah, that's me," Faith says as she sets down her cup and prepares to sit in an empty seat.

However, Meredith surprises both Faith and Tru when she suddenly jumps out of her seat and envelops Faith in a tight hug. "Oh my god, where have you been?" She asks, choking back her emotions as Faith, self-consciously, hugs back lightly.

Once released, Faith clears her throat and sits down. "You know, here and there," she says vaguely. 

"I can't believe you're really here," Meredith says in astonishment.

"It's so weird seeing her again, isn't it?" Tru agrees.

"You know, I **am** sitting right here?" Faith asks quirking an eyebrow. 

Meredith turns to look at Faith. "It really is good to see you again Faith," she smiles softly. "What brings you back to Boston?" She asks after a moment of silence.

Faith takes a deep breath and leans back in her seat. "Where I was, so much stuff was happening and finally once it was all taken care of, I decided to come home," she explains casually.

"Right, you were busy for seven years?" Meredith asks skeptically.

"Not the **whole** seven years. I thought about you guys a lot and there were so many times when I regretted leaving. Sometimes I wished I could take it all back and come home," Faith blurts out in one breath.

"Well, why didn't you?" Meredith further pursues. "Why didn't you take a break or something and come home…or call even?" She asks with a hurt expression.

"Because I just couldn't, okay? There were things that I couldn't exactly take a break from and call home and especially not **come** home," Faith tells her while on the verge of tears.

"Like what?" Tru asks in general confusion. 

Faith opens her mouth and closes it several times for several minutes before sighing deeply and looking down at her hands. "I was in a coma for about 8 months back in '99 and-"

"There's an 'and'?" Tru asks desperately.

"Uh, yeah," Faith stammers as she runs her fingers through her hair. "I was in…prison from October of '99 to February of this year," she says slowly, not making eye contact with either of her sisters.

"You were in prison for three and a half years?" Meredith asks harshly.

"Yes," Faith answers after she takes a minute to get her breathing under control and push back the fear hanging at the back of her throat. _Nine years of slaying demons and preventing apocalypses and none of them are half as scary as my oldest sister when she's mad at me. _She thinks grimly.

"For what?" Tru asks before Meredith has an aneurysm, not even thinking that it could be anything too serious.

"Homicide," Faith mumbles under her breath. Meredith and Tru stare in shock at their little sister. 

"You killed someone?" Meredith asks in a troubled tone.

"It was all a mistake though, right? I mean, surely you couldn't kill anyone," Tru states, grasping for straws.

"I didn't kill someone," Faith begins and her sisters let out a sigh of relief. "I killed two someones," she continues, hanging her head.

"How?" Tru finds herself asking despite the feeling of her heart rising up through her throat. 

"Stabbed them both. The first one was an accident, the second one…wasn't," Faith explains, hesitating at the end.

"Faith," Meredith begins tentatively. "None of that matters to us okay? You're still our sister and all that matters is that you're home now," she says softly as she reaches across the table and takes a hold of her younger sister's hand.

"Yeah," Tru agrees as she looks at the entranceway to the café. 

"What is it?" Meredith asks as she looks where her sister is looking. "Harrison is here," she says in a dull tone.

"Hey guys," he says as he jogs up having seen them. "Who are-" he begins his question to Faith's back, until she turns around. "Faith!" Harrison exclaims in happy surprise.

"Hey Har," Faith smirks, trying to forget the depth of the previous conversation. 

"Wow," Harrison states as he looks at her in amazement. "You look-"

"-so much like Tru?" Faith guesses the end of his sentence.

"No," he shakes his head. "Well, I mean…yes, but that wasn't what I was going to say," he stammers while Tru and Meredith chuckle at his behavior while Faith raises an eyebrow. "You look just like I remembered," he says.

"Is that good or bad?" Faith asks with a smirk.

"No one really knows when it comes to you does it?" He asks with a smile as he takes a seat next to his estranged sister.

**__**

Buffy, Willow and Dawn's hotel room-5pm

"Buffy, will you **please **stop pacing," an irritated Willow asks her friend as Buffy continues walking back in forth in their room.

Buffy stops and looks sympathetically at her friend. "Sorry Will, I'm just anxious to see what is going to happen," she says quietly.

Willow sighs and sits up on her bed. "Yeah, we all are, but it isn't helping that you're making everyone nervous by pacing like that," she reasons.

"Yeah, I know that," Buffy sighs and takes a seat next to Willow. "It's just that I don't know what to expect because Faith never talked bout her family and it'll just be kind of weird," she admits. Willow nods in understanding.

"Hey, can we go now?" Dawn asks as she flounces out of the bathroom.

Buffy rolls her eyes and nods. Willow smirks. "Yeah Dawn, let's go talk to Faith now," Willow says as she and Buffy stand up. 

Together, the three of them exit the room and make their way to Tru's apartment to meet Faith's family.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, this took forever and I just didn't know what to do with it. This chapter did kind of suck, I know, but I promise the next one won't be as bad.


	5. Buffy!

**__**

Tru's Apartment-4:45pm

Faith lazily cranes her neck around as she hears a door shut and sees Tru come out of a back room. "Hey," Lindsay greets her friend with a smile as she walks by her and Faith on the couch.

Tru stops, startled. "Hey Linds, when did you get here?" Tru asks as Faith smirks at her.

"About five minutes ago. You were in your room," Faith answers and Lindsay smiles shyly at Tru.

Tru grins and shakes her head. "You two are still the walking hormones I remember from high school. I'm half expecting Dad to bust in on the two of you…again," she says while rolling her eyes at the end.

Faith laughs and Lindsay blushes. "You off to see Meredith again?" Faith asks.

"Yeah. She totally forgot to tell me whatever it was she wanted to talk about because of you," Tru smirks. "After that, I'm going to head off to work, depending on what time it is," she tells them.

"Bye Tru," Lindsay says hurriedly with a mischievous grin directed at Faith and Faith gives a distracted wave at Tru.

Tru shakes her head trying to get those images out of it. "Bye guys," she says with a bemused expression. _Just like high school. _She thinks as she closes the door behind her to drown out the giggling.

**__**

Tru's Door-5:00pm

Buffy, Willow and Dawn are standing at Tru's door, suddenly very nervous about meeting the Dark Slayer's family. Suddenly, Buffy sighs and chuckles slightly as she shakes her head and knocks.

There is giggling and sounds of things being knocked over before a young blonde girl answers the door wearing, what Buffy noticed to be, one of Faith's favorite t-shirts.

"Who are you?" Buffy finds herself asking rather rudely.

Lindsay raises an eyebrow, not even slightly intimidated with an amused smirk. "I could ask you the same thing," she retorts.

Willow nudges a scowling Buffy. "We're looking for Faith," Willow says with a warm smile at the girl.

"I hope you find it," Lindsay says as she goes to shut the door on the presumed Bible thumpers.

"No, we're looking for someone **named **Faith," Buffy all but growls.

"Hey, whoever it is tell them to go away!" Faith shouts impatiently from a back room.

Lindsay turns to tell them just that, but the door is roughly thrown open by an impatient Buffy. "Faith! It's Buffy!" She shouts as she enters the apartment.

Again, there is a shuffling sound as Faith exit's the room she was in looking a thousand shades of pissed off. "What are you doing here?" Faith snaps.

"What are **you **doing here?" Buffy retorts without thinking.

"It's my family and it is my business," Faith answers and Buffy finds herself momentarily speechless by the obvious.

"Hi, I'm Lindsay," she introduces herself brightly to break the silence. Faith can't help but grin at the girl.

Willow looks between Faith and Lindsay and realizes that they had interrupted something and she blushes lightly. "I'm Willow," she says. "That is Buffy and this is Dawn," she replies, pointing to each of them respectively.

Then the awkwardness resumes, only to be interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Faith jumps to answer the phone all to eagerly. "Hello?" She asks, suddenly realizing that it isn't her phone.

"Faith, I need to talk to you," Tru says anxiously from the other end of the line. "I'm sorry to be calling, but-" she babbles hysterically.

"Where are you?" Faith asks, trying to keep her calm.

"Starbuck's, the same one we were at this morning," Tru tells her, already calming slightly.

"I'll be right there," Faith says before hanging up and looking apologetically at the others, more apologetic to some than others.

"Tru?" Lindsay asks, venturing a guess, and Faith nods as she goes for her shoes. "Is she okay?" She asks with sincere concern.

"I don't know, she sounded upset and said she needed to talk to me, so I am going to go meet her," she says quickly. Then, she looks up at the worried face of her girlfriend. "You aren't mad are you?" She asks sheepishly.

"Of course not, she's your sister. Go, I'll be here when you get back," Lindsay tells her sternly.

Faith smiles. "You're the best. I'll try not to be long," she says as she kisses Lindsay lightly on the forehead. "Oh, and B, if you guys decide to stay, don't try and kill each other," are her parting words before shutting the door.

Faith runs down the stairs and out of the building and starts running quickly, her feet loudly hitting the pavement as she barely takes notice of the beginnings of a blizzard around her.

Back upstairs, Lindsay looks between the three girls. "So, you're a Slayer too huh?" She asks Buffy with a slight smile.

Buffy, for her part, looks surprised and begins to try and deny it, but sees Willow shaking her head before she could begin. "Yeah," she states simply. "Faith told you about Slayers?" She asks.

"Yeah, she told me everything," Lindsay tells her with a 'duh' expression.

"And you aren't afraid of her or anything?" Dawn finds herself asking, earning a glare from her sister.

"No, of course not," Lindsay states, almost amused that they would even think she would be. "She wouldn't hurt anybody," she tells them with conviction.

"You're kidding right?" Buffy asks incredulously with a slight hint of anger. Again, Buffy sees Willow vigorously shaking her head. She sighs and looks the curious girl in the face. "She's a Slayer, accidents happen," she tells the other blonde cryptically.

Lindsay looks curiously at the blonde Slayer before shaking it off and glancing out the window. She looks back into the room and then at the girls. "Faith forgot her jacket," she tells them.

"So?" Buffy asks as if the girl was completely slow.

"So, it's snowing out and Faith left in only a t-shirt," she tells them before glancing back outside worriedly.

"She's a Slayer, more develop than regular people in case you haven't noticed," Buffy points out, stating the obvious.

"Doesn't mean she doesn't still get sick," Lindsay tells her, deciding with finality that she doesn't like this other Slayer.

"Slayers have better immune systems," Buffy tells Lindsay, as if she were talking to a child. "I don't remember ever getting sick," she states matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I do," Willow says raising her hand. "That time when you went to the hospital with the fevers and killed that thing that killed your cousin," Willow says.

"Oh, yeah," Buffy says lamely, looking over to an amused Lindsay.

"No. The last time was a year later after, like, the only time it ever snowed in Sunnydale," Dawn contributes.

"Okay, but what makes you think that she's going to get sick because of a little snow?" Buffy asks Lindsay.

"She'd always get sick. She ran out in the snow wearing nothing but boxers and a t-shirt once and she was rushed to the hospital with pneumonia when we were 14," Lindsay says in a light tone.

"But that was well before she got called," Willow finds herself pointing out and Buffy nods.

"No it wasn't. Faith was called before you when she was 13, less than a year after her mom died," Lindsay explains.

"Oh," is all the stunned Buffy can make out.

Faith finally gets to the Starbuck's and opens the door. There is snow on her shoulders and she is breathing heavy, her face red from the cold.

"Faith!" Tru admonishes her sister upon seeing her. "It's, like 12 degrees outside and snowing," she berates.

"Duh," Faith responds after taking a moment to catch her breath. "You sounded like you needed me right now, so here I am," she says as she sits down in front of her older sister. "What happened?" She asks.

Tru sighs and looks at Faith through her eyelashes. "It's Meredith. I didn't tell you because I thought she was over it, but, she's, um…" she breaks off, not knowing how to broach the subject.

"On drugs?" Faith asks, guessing as to what her sister could be talking about. Tru looks up sharply. "Lindsay told me in her enraged outburst last night," she says, answering her sister's unasked question.

"Oh," Tru grunts. "Well, she went to rehab and got out a few months ago, but I guess she fell off the wagon," Tru says after a pause. 

"I know she didn't just come out and tell you, so how'd you find out?" Faith asks, a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, amongst other non-pleasant feelings going through her right now.

"She went to the bathroom and left her purse on the table. I saw the corner of a baggy sticking out and looked at it. It was a small baggy of a white powder," she explains sadly.

"Did you talk to her about it when she got back?" Faith asks, beginning to feel a little lightheaded.

"Yeah," Tru sighs. "She totally blew-up and said that I should stay out of her things and that generally mind my own business," she tells her. "Then she left."

"I'm sorry Tru," Faith says comfortingly as she rests her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for calling you out here, especially in this weather, but I just wanted to talk to you about it in private," Tru apologizes, remembering their behavior before she left.

Faith nods her head. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine…Slayer, remember?" She smirks, but then sneezes.

"That's what you get for running 4 miles in the snow without a coat or anything. Let's get you back to the apartment," she sighs.

Faith launches into a coughing fit. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Buffy and couple of the others from Sunnydale are at your apartment right now waiting for me to get back so that we can argue some more," she says trying to make her tone sound light.

"Oh, great," Tru says rolling her eyes as she hails a cab.

"I can't believe she was called when she was 13," Buffy gapes. "That was two years before I was called. I always assumed she was younger than me, not the same age," she says, shaking her head in disbelief.

"She told me that on her first slay he mom attacked her. Evidently a vampire was who killed Faith and Tru's mom," Lindsay sighs. "Two years later, she died for just a second and you were called," she tells the others.

"Wow, she had to slay her mother," Willow states in quiet incredulity.

"Yeah. She ran away the same night that she had her brush with death. I'll never forget that night for as long as I live," Lindsay begins nostalgically. "There was a blizzard that night. She showed up tapping on my window around midnight. I opened the window and she stepped in nervously. I didn't think much of it because we'd sneak into each other's rooms sometimes late at night," she smirks at the memories.

"Wait, you two were seeing each other when you were in high school?" Willow asks and Buffy shoots her a confused expression, which she misses.

"Yeah," Lindsay answers briefly before going back to the story. "Something was wrong that night though," she says, furrowing her brow. "Her clothes were covered in blood, hers and her Watcher's I now know. But when I asked her if she was okay, she said that she needed to tell me something before she left. I just figured that she meant before she left my house, but she meant before she left the state," she says, shaking her head at her own stupidity.

"What'd she have to tell you?" An enthralled Dawn asks.

Lindsay feels the tears welling up and she tries to blink them back. "She told me she loved me. I told her I felt the same. It had been the first time we'd said it to each other after having gone out for nearly two years. The she kissed me and took off. Up until yesterday, that was the last time I'd seen her," she tells with a wet smile as she futilely wipes at her tears.

"Wow," Willow says, with a few tears of her own.

But then the moment is ruined when Tru and Faith walk in. Lindsay notices that Faith is leaning heavily against Tru. "Is she okay Tru?" She asks with concern as she stands up.

"I'm fine," Faith sniffles.

Tru rolls her eyes. "She got herself sick running through South Boston in the snow when it's, like 12 degrees outside," she says, rolling her eyes and smirking at the younger girl's scowl.

"I'll take her to the spare room," Lindsay offers as she moves over to them.

"I can probably get her easier," Buffy offers readily as she stands up as well.

"I'm not that fucking heavy Buff," Faith snaps, trying to sound menacing, but failing as she heads into another coughing fit.

Lindsay smile fondly at the brunette. "Sit back down, I've got her," she orders as she takes Faith's arm. Buffy sits down and scowls while Willow, Dawn and Tru smirk.

"So, you're the Slayer that was called after Faith, Buffy, right?" Tru asks as soon as the other two are off into the back room.

"Uh, yeah. That's Willow and this is my sister Dawn," Buffy introduces them to Faith's sister.

"Nice to meet you," Tru says to them. "I'm Tru," she says with a smile. "So, why did you guys follow my sister out here to Boston?" She asks.

"Well, Cordy told us about her vision and we wanted to make sure Faith wasn't in over her head," Buffy explains.

Willow and Dawn rolls their eyes. "We just want to make sure Faith has all the help she can get because we don't really know what we're dealing with," Willow says.

"What vision? What are you talking about?" Tru asks with confusion.

"You know, the one about you getting killed. The one Faith came here to stop from happening," Buffy tells her in an obvious tone. She then notices Tru's face falling and realizes that she probably didn't know about the vision.

"What?" Tru breathes out incredulously with a paralyzing fear shooting down her spine. Buffy, Willow and Dawn glance at each other as if to say 'oops'.


	6. Back to Tru's

A/N: Okay, so for _Tru Calling_, this is needed to take place later in the season. The only things needed to know are that Tru is no longer with the professor and Davis knows her secret. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buffy glances up and sees the shaken expression on Tru's face. "My bad," she mumbles sheepishly as she notices the dark look Willow is shooting at her now.

"I'm going to die?" Tru asks quietly, not looking at any of the others.

Willow stands up and carefully approaches Tru and sets her hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "I don't think Faith will let that happen," she tells Tru in full confidence that it is true.

Tru looks at the redhead and gives her a blank stare. "I need to see how Faith is doing," she says dismissively as she walks back to the spare room in almost a daze.

"I'm sorry," Buffy offers before the other two have a chance to ream her. "I thought Faith would have told her," she says.

"I think we should go," Dawn says as she looks down the hall where Tru disappeared.

"You're probably right Dawnie," Willow agrees.

Tru steps quietly into the spare room. She finds Faith sprawled bonelessly and tiredly unconscious across Lindsay. Lindsay sees Tru come in and smiles helplessly at her friend. "She just passed out," she whispers to Tru.

"You want me to help?" Tru offers smiling and trying to forget the news she just received.

"No, I think I'll just hang out here," Lindsay smirks as she shifts to make herself comfortable under Faith's weight.

"Okay. I'm going to kick out Buffy and her friends then head off to work, okay Linds?" Tru tells her.

Lindsay nods. "I'll see you later Tru," she says with a smile.

Tru walks out into the living room to see Buffy, Willow and Dawn getting ready to leave. "You guys catching a cab?" Tru asks idly as she reaches for her coat on the back of the couch.

"We were just going to walk back," Buffy responds, clueless.

"It's 12 degrees out and there is at least half a foot of snow out there," Tru responds, strangely not surprised by the blonde's attitude.

"She's right Buffy," Willow says to her friend.

"We aren't that far from the hotel," Buffy answers indignantly.

"You'll freeze," Tru shrugs, trying to get Buffy to see how dumb she is acting about the whole idea. "And I don't know much about Sunnydale, but I'm betting that the winter doesn't usually get below 60 degrees out," she counters.

Buffy sighs, defeated. "Fine," she growls as they walk out of the apartment, Tru behind them. "Where are you going?" She snaps, more harshly than she would've liked, at Tru.

Tru quirks an eyebrow with a slight smirk. "I have to be at work in 20 minutes," she answers slowly as she hails a cab for the three girls. "Safe trip," she tells them before shutting the door. She calls another cab, because there is no way in hell she is walking to work in the snow.

**__**

The Morgue-6:30pm

Tru is sitting in the office, making a paperclip necklace and brooding. "What's wrong?" Davis asks, startling Tru, who turns to him and offers an 'I-don't-know-what-you-mean' expression. He sighs and sets down his clipboard before sitting in a chair next to her. "You've been sulking in this office since you got here," he points out. 

"My twin, Faith, is here because I'm going to die," Tru blurts out, not taking her attention off the paperclip necklace after her initial shock of him coming in wears off.

"Oh, okay," he draws out, not knowing exactly how to respond. "How does she know?" He asks curiously.

Tru sighs and sets down her handful of paperclips. "She is a Vampire Slayer and her friend, who is a psychic saw it happen," she blurts as if she was telling him it was going to rain tomorrow.

Davis' eyebrow furrow in confusion. "I…I…I…What?" He finally manages to let out.

Tru takes a deep breath. "That's what I said," she tells him. Finally she sighs. "I'll tell you what Faith told me about it and you can tell me what you think," she says and Davis nods. "So, when Faith was thirteen…"

**__**

Hotel- 9pm

Buffy is laying back in her bed staring at the ceiling. "What are you thinking about Buff?" Dawn asks as she sits down at the end of the bed and Willow looks up with interest.

Buffy sits up to look at her sister. "This whole thing with Faith is so much more complicated than I thought," she sighs.

"Tell me about it," Willow scoffs.

"I would've thought that she would've told me if she had been called before me," Buffy states, a little hurt. "Wait a minute," Buffy declares at having had a sudden revelation.

"What is it?" Dawn asks, curious as to the source of her sister's outburst.

"Lindsay said that Faith ran away in the middle of winter when she was fifteen," Buffy states as if that solved everything.

"So, what's you're point Buffy?" Willow asks impatiently. 

"If Faith is about the same age as us, she didn't get to Sunnydale until she was seventeen or eighteen," Buffy tells them.

"That's right," Willow says. "She had to have been running for a little over two years," she replies in astonishment.

There is a pause where nobody knows what to say. "Hey Will?" Buffy asks.

"Yeah," Willow responds distractedly.

"What were you talking about when you asked Lindsay if they had been seeing each other in high school?" She asks, almost shyly and Dawn snickers.

Willow smirks at how dense Buffy could be sometimes. "It was kind of obvious how they acted that they were a couple Buff," she responds while continuing to smirk at her friend.

"Oh," Buffy says lamely before blushing.

**__**

Tru's Apartment-12:30am

Faith wakes up groggily in bed with her head resting on Lindsay's shoulder and with her arm lazily thrown over her waist. She carefully extricates herself from Lindsay's hold so as not to wake her up. Then Faith gets out of bed, feeling a little lightheaded, but tries to shake it off. Taking quiet steps, so as not to wake her sister up either, she makes her way to the phone in the living room.

After a moment of staring dazedly at the phone, Faith dials a familiar number and waits for someone to pick up. "Hello?" Someone asks on the other end.

"Giles, put Cordy on," Faith says, trying to sound commanding, but sounding more tired than anything.

"Faith?" He asks in a worried tone. "Thank goodness you're okay-"

"Please, just put Cordy on," Faith pleads, not wanting to drag this out longer than necessary.

"Um, yes, of course," Giles stammers as he calls for her.

"Hey Faith, how's it going?" She asks, trying to sound casual.

Faith sighs. "Buffy and Co. have already showed up. They came over to my sister's, whom I'm sure they told you about before leaving, apartment earlier tonight," she says to the other woman.

"I'm sorry, I had to tell them about what I saw," Cordy admits reluctantly.

"Don't worry about it," Faith brushes off.

"Are you sick?" She asks, suddenly changing the subject and Faith growls at her in response. "Okay, why did you call then?" She asks.

"I need you to tell me about the vision," Faith tells her as she sits down at the kitchen table.

"I already told you what I saw," Cordy says in a confused tone.

"I mean details," Faith sighs. "Like, where it took place. If it was day or night. Anything right now. I just need to know what kind of time-frame I'm looking at here," she pleads.

"Yeah, okay," Cordy agrees and then thinks for a moment. "It was inside definitely- a living room or den I think because there was a couch and a TV. I remember it was daytime too, so that rules out vamps, right?" She asks.

"Yeah," Faith responds, suddenly perturbed. Then an idea strikes her. "What do you remember about the…killers," she hesitates on the last word.

"Nothing much. They were ordinary looking. No scales, fins, fangs or claws from what I can tell. And like I said, it looked like a knife," se explains.

"Colonel Mustard in the den with the knife," Faith jokes weakly before going into a coughing fit. "Thanks Cordy. You really helped," she says seriously.

"I'm glad," Cordy replies sincerely. "You really don't sound too good. Are you okay?" She asks seriously.

"I'll be fine. I just went out for a brisk evening jog out in the snow," Faith replies derisively with a smirk. "Bye, talk to you later," she says.

"Bye Faith, take care," Cordy says before they both hang up.

Faith gently sets the receiver down and holds herself up with the back of a chair. "Hey you," Lindsay yawns behind her. "What are you doing up?" She asks, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Had to make a call. What about you?" Faith retorts with a light smile.

Lindsay pouts. "Once you, not so stealthily, got up and left the room I waited for you to some back and you never did. So, here I am," she smirks. "Who did you have to call at 12:30 in the morning?" She asks suspiciously.

"My friend in L.A. that had the vision," Faith responds as she carefully walks over to the couch.

"Ah," Lindsay responds. "I know you'll be able to save Tru. If anyone can do it, you can," she tells Faith in a comforting tone as she goes to sit on the couch with her.

"I hope so," Faith murmurs before drifting back off to sleep.

**__**

Tru's Apartment-8:30am

Tru wakes up and moves to the kitchen on autopilot to make coffee. She then looks back over at the couch and sees her sister and her best friend asleep together on it…again.

Tru sighs. "Great, now I can't watch TV without waking them up," she grumbles good-naturedly to herself.

"Never took you as the type to still watch cartoons," Lindsay jokes from the couch. Tru jumps and Lindsay giggles quietly. "I've been awake for a little while," she explain.

Tru visibly relaxes. "Be quiet or you'll wake her up," she responds pointing to her sister.

Lindsay smirks. "In case you don't remember, Faith could sleep through anything," she points out. "You have work tonight?" She asks.

"I hope you aren't trying to get rid of me so you can get some," Tru states, quirking an eyebrow and Lindsay bites her lip so as not to burst out laughing. "Because, last time I checked, you had your own apartment, which must be gathering dust by now," she says.

Lindsay looks at her friend with an embarrassed, sheepish smile. "I was just asking because I can't remember you having a day off since you started working there," she explains.

Tru sighs as she sits in a chair. "Yeah, I have tonight off, but Davis has me on call in case something happens," she says and Lindsay nods. "So, what about that Buffy chick?" She smirks.

Lindsay rolls her eyes. "Kind of crazy I think," she reveals honestly.

"I think we should talk to her, the three of us" Tru admits.

Lindsay stares blankly at her for a moment. "Why?" She asks.

Tru sighs. "She told me that one of her friends had a vision and it turned out being of me being killed," she says softly, almost hoping that Lindsay didn't hear.

"Oh," Lindsay says simply, looking away.

"You knew didn't you?" Tru asks and Lindsay stares guiltily at the floor. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asks, hurt.

"Faith told me not to because she didn't want you to worry," she replies, feeling justified and Tru just sighs.

**__**

Hotel-10am

"Well, **one **of us should call," Buffy grunts in irritation.

"It'll just be weird. What if Tru answers? I doubt she'd want to talk to any of us," Willow points out.

"Still won't change the fact that we all need to talk," Buffy reasons. Willow reluctantly nods in agreement. "Okay, I'll call then," she sighs as she picks up the phone. She picks up the phone and dials the number.

"Hello," Tru greets as she picks up the phone on the third ring.

"Hey, it's Buffy?" She says on the other end of the line, now suddenly nervous.

"Oh, hey, we were going to call you guys later," Tru says into the receiver.

"Oh yeah?" Buffy replies skeptically. There is a moment of awkward silence. "Look, about what I said last night, I didn't mean to blurt it out like that, I thought Faith had told you," she explains regretfully.

"Don't worry about it," Tru brushes off. "Lindsay explained why they didn't tell me so it is kind of a moot point now," she says lightly.

"You sure?" Buffy asks.

"Yeah," Tru says with finality. "How about you guys come on over?" She invites them.

"Sure. We can be there in twenty minutes," Buffy tells her.

"Okay, see you then," Tru says right before she hangs the phone up.

"We're going over there. I said we'd be there in twenty minutes so let's get going" Buffy says as she turns to the other two girls.

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 10:30am

All six girls are sitting in Tru's living room. Buffy keeps looking between Lindsay and Faith (who are sitting together) and Tru with an inscrutable expression on her face. Tru and Lindsay politely ignore the look, but Faith sighs. "What's wrong B?" She asks impatiently.

Buffy blushes and then directs her question to Tru. "Isn't it weird that your best friend is dating your sister who looks like you?" She asks quickly in one breath, embarrassed. 

Everyone giggles, except Faith, who rolls her eyes in amusement. After her laughter subsides a little, Tru answers Buffy. "I don't ever really think about it because Faith and I are so different," she shrugs. 

Willow quirks an eyebrow. "I would never have guessed," she states sarcastically.

"We've hung out with totally different people since elementary school so we pretty much stopped thinking of ourselves as twins a long time ago," Tru shrugs.

"Except when we play practical jokes on…everyone," Faith interjects, earning a warning glare from her sister.

"But others still think of you as the same," Dawn points out.

"Please, Linds has been Tru's best friend since, like birth," Faith chuckles and Lindsay rolls her eyes.

"Faith and I didn't like each other growing up. What did you keep calling me back in middle school again Faith?" Lindsay asks with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"The preppy brown-nosing teacher's bitch," Faith smirks, answering without hesitation.

Tru hangs her head at the display, but grins nonetheless. "And I called her the brain-dead bad ass loser," Lindsay adds. 

"Yeah, I was in the 'preppy' crowd too, as Faith had put it so many times. We never would've hung out with each other in school," Tru replies, shaking her head. "They hated each other up until the eighth grade, the year after they were voted 'Most Likely to Kill Each Other' by the yearbook committee," she adds.

Faith lets out a full on laugh. "Yeah, the yearbook committee which you, Lindsay and my best friend Paul were on," she points out.

"What changed?" Dawn asks curiously. The other three are taken out of their little world and stare with confusion at the girl for a moment. "I mean, you guys hated each other then you suddenly started seeing each other," she clears up.

"We had Honors English together and were assigned to do a project on an influential British writer around the middle of the school year. Who'd we pick again Linds?" Faith asks.

"I believe that you were hell bent on us doing Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal'," Lindsay laughs. "I would've been appalled had anyone else had suggested it, but it seemed so appropriate coming from Faith," she chuckles.

"I am just a fan of irony," Faith jokes. Willow, Lindsay and Tru, who actually read it laugh along, but Dawn and Buffy are left clueless.

Lindsay rolls her eyes, yet again. "On the first night I went over to their house and said I needed to see Faith, the look on Tru's face was priceless," she giggles. 

"Yeah, well it was a nightmare for me. For hours at a time, every night for three weeks straight, all I heard was giggling and joking around in the next room, it was a living hell," Tru sighs.

"She was even more pissed when she found out that we had been doing more than working on our project for those three weeks," Lindsay jokes and Tru scowls at her. She then goes serious again. "Faith was always surprising me though," she admits.

"How so?" Buffy asks.

"Well, all she had was honors classes, that was a big shock to me. She skipped every other day of school and not do homework, but she would ace quizzes and tests easily," Lindsay reveals and the others look at Faith, who blushes.

"You were in all honors classes?" Willow asks with surprise.

"Don't sound so shocked okay? I told you I wasn't stupid," Faith mumbles defensively, smiling weakly at Lindsay.

"It was weird because we found out that we had a lot more in common than we'd realized and things between us just…clicked," Lindsay continues wistfully.

"I think we were both reluctant to see it, but we eventually did and it was so strange," Faith says, shaking her head in amazement at how things used to be.

"They came out a couple of weeks after it happened. Everyone was shocked that the two most likely to kill each other ended up dating. That shocked them more than them both being to girls I think," Tru smirks and Faith and Lindsay nod. "Personally though, I thought it was a phase on Faith's part because our mom had died only three months before," she admits.

"You did?" Faith asks, stunned and Tru nods.

"You didn't think it was a phase for me?" Lindsay asks, almost hurt. "Do I project 'gay'?" She asks the others, who just look away.

"You were always checking out the other girls in the locker room," Tru laughs and Faith joins in. "Besides, I guess you just seemed to fit the part upon closer inspection," she adds thoughtfully.

Lindsay stands up. "What about Faith? She wore leather pants and hung out with guys," she all but shouts, flustered. "She was always smoking pot and partying with these guys at the pool hall and she didn't 'seem gay' to you?" She asks.

Faith smiles and gently tugs Lindsay's hand to get her to sit back down. "I didn't know anything about what Faith did or who she did it with. Everyone at school just called her a slut so I figured she must've been straight," she shrugs.

"Hey, don't call her a slut," Lindsay pouts as she shoves Tru.

"Defending my virtue is kind of a lost cause Linds," Faith says lightly, causing everyone in the room to laugh.

Tru snorts with laughter. "Anyways, as the shock of these two dating wore off, everyone noted how cute a couple they actually made, how they complimented each other. Whenever someone came up and said that Lindsay and Faith were the cutest couple, it made me want to gag," Tru says, scrunching up her nose.

"Especially if they thought you were Faith," Lindsay says and Willow laughs.

"Lindsay and I still hung out a lot, but she was also hanging with Faith a lot too. They would follow each other around like lovesick puppies, Lindsay more so than Faith. It was sad really," Tru smirks.

"Whatever," Faith snorts, lightly hitting the back of her sister's head.

"But, they lasted a long time and even I had to admit that they weren't the worst couple to come out of South Boston High School. At least until the middle of our sophomore year, when Faith took off," she adds.

"Faith's friends blamed me. They said I chased her off because I was clingy," Lindsay tells them with a frown.

They all lapse into silence again, not knowing what to says next. So, Faith leans forward in her seat and sighs. "So, what do you think we should do to stop Tru from getting killed?" She asks, surprising everyone, even Lindsay in her bluntness.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry about the long chapter. I am also sorry that this one focuses a lot on Faith/ Lindsay. Someone pointed out in a review about Lindsay dating Tru's sister who looks just like her and I felt compelled to explain it and get some Faith backstory in there. So, just wanted to get that out there so you didn't think I was stalling for being blocked or something.


	7. The Plot Thickens

A/N: Before I get into the chapter, I just want to thank everyone that has reviewed and let you all know that I appreciate your continuing support. Now before I start to sound too hokey, let's get on with the chapter.

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Buffy sighs at Faith's sudden change of topic. "We don't even know where to start. We don't know anything except Tru gets stabbed by some guy," she says carelessly.

Faith rubs her eyes to ward off a headache after Buffy's response. But, before she can says anything, Lindsay cuts in. "Look, I don't know the ins and outs of being a Slayer or anything, but I think we should start with making a list of people who want Faith dead," she suggests.

"A list of people who **don't **want me dead would make a much shorter list," Faith grumbles in response as she reclines back into the couch.

"Don't say that," Lindsay chides, as if Faith had directed the statement at her and Faith closes her mouth and blushes.

Buffy, despite herself, finds Faith's behavior towards Lindsay endearing, but she soon shakes it off. "Well, there are the usual demons and vamps," she says, contributing her two cents.

"Not vamps B," Faith interjects. "I called Cordy early this morning and asked for details," she explains, upon seeing the confused expressions on everyone's face (except Lindsay's).

"Yeah, you told me she said it takes place during the day, probably in Tru's apartment," Lindsay adds as she remembers the conversation from earlier.

They all think for another moment of anyone who would want to kill Faith. "This is just sick," Tru states as she realizes the absurdity of it. "I think it's kind of fucked up we are making a list of people who would and could kill my sister," she points out at their confused expressions.

Faith rolls her eyes. "Being a Slayer, you're bound to make enemies," she responds. "Maybe the cops are after me," she says after a moment before standing up. "Oh God, maybe even the Feds," she states in a panic.

"Why would they be after you?" Tru and Lindsay ask at the same time with equally perplexed looks.

Buffy, Willow and Dawn look at a blushing Faith expectantly. "Tru, remember how I told you I was in prison?" She begins slowly, pointedly not looking at a, presumably, dumbfounded Lindsay.

"Yeah," Tru says slowly, already beginning to dread what Faith is to say.

"Well, I kind of wasn't paroled or even released actually," she continues, looking down at her hands.

"You escaped from prison?" Tru asks, getting it.

"Um, yeah. I had to so I could help save the world. I sort of busted out and ran," Faith states quietly, not looking at anyone.

"They don't exactly turn their heads the other way when a convicted murder escapes from prison," Willow chimes in, automatically regretting it.

"Wait…wait just a minute," Lindsay all but shouts as she stands up and turns to face Faith. "Why didn't you tell me that you went to prison…and for murder no less?" She wonders angrily.

Faith looks up at Lindsay with her big brown eyes glazed over with unshed tears, looking very much like a kicked puppy. "I didn't want you to be mad at me," she manages to choke out after a couple minutes of terse silence. She then hangs her head back down, ashamed of having shown weakness to any of the other occupants in the room as she angrily wipes her eyes.

Lindsay sighs and sits back down, noticeably sitting a fraction farther away from Faith. "I can't believe you could kill anybody," she whispers in a brooding tone as she looks down at the carpet.

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 12pm

Everyone has left with the exception of Tru and Faith, who is laying on the couch. "She's never going to speak to me again now," Faith mumbles from under her arm in regards to Lindsay.

"Don't be so dramatic Faith," Tru orders, trying to sound definite. "Lindsay could never stay mad at you, even when you 'accidentally' stepped on her Gigapet collection back in ninth grade," she smirks.

"Please, those stupid little thingies were so annoying. I was doing a public service by destroying them," Faith replies, smiling despite herself. "But killing a couple electronic pets and killing a couple of people are not even comparable," she states, shaking her head slightly.

"Look, she got over you taking off without notice for the better part of a decade with barely a second thought. She can get over this too if you just explain it to her," Tru shrugs, still feeling a little weary of her sister's actions in Sunnydale, but refraining from asking about it for her benefit.

"You're right, I'll just have to explain things to her later," Faith relents. "But not now, I have a sister to protect," she continues, smiling weakly at Tru.

There is a slight knock at the door. "It's open," Tru shouts.

"Are you insane? That could be the killers," Faith whispers harshly to Tru, before she starts to go into a coughing fit.

Tru smirks sardonically at Faith and has to bite her lip to keep from laughing as Meredith and Harrison walk through the door. "Hey you guys," she greets them as they walk in. "What's up?" She asks.

"Nothing much. How are you two doing?" Meredith asks, sounding a little forced as she asks, trying hard not to glare holes into Tru's forehead.

"Not too bad," Faith answers from the couch.

"Faith got sick from running in the snow a couple days ago," Tru smirks as she rats out her little sister, who merely growls at her.

Harrison looks over at Faith. "You caught up with Lindsay yet?" He asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, causing Tru to groan and Meredith to smack him in the head.

"Yeah, but we're not talking now," Faith answers. "We got into a minor argument earlier today and I have to grovel for forgiveness later," she adds, disturbed by the very idea of having to grovel at all.

Harrison laughs good-naturedly. "What'd you do this time? Destroy her Pez dispenser collection now?" He asks with a smirk.

"I neglected to tell her something that I had done while I was gone," Faith evades her brother.

"You cheated on her? Because she's dated a couple of guys while you were gone so she would have no right to be-"

"Harrison, just drop it okay?" Meredith snaps, trying to spare Faith of having to tell him.

"No Merr, he should know too," Faith says reluctantly as she sits up. "The short version is that a lot of bad shit went down while I was on the West Coast and I ended up getting into some things I should've have been into," she begins, babbling. She takes a deep breath. "The main thing is that I killed two people," she finishes.

"Whoa," he says. "And you guys thought **I **was the one most likely to kill someone," he states in astonishment. Faith simply drops her head into her hands and sighs. "I'm sorry Faith," he apologizes for the dig. 

"I told Faith that she should talk to Lindsay, but she doesn't think Lindsay will forgive her," Tru points out to the other two.

"She forgave you when you torched her Barbies back in eighth grade," Meredith responds immediately.

"She was too old to be playing with them anyways. Besides, this is just a little more serious than setting dolls on fire," Faith grunts.

"She's just trying to say that Lindsay could never stay mad at anyone, least of all you. Even when she hated you, she never **really **hated you," Harrison explains.

Faith gives them a slight smile. "What are you guys doing here anyways?" She asks.

"Tru called us and said that our little sister was going through a crisis and she needed our help," Meredith says with a smile that hardens as she looks at Tru.

Faith notices the dark expression on Meredith's face as she looks at Tru and decides she can't take it anymore. "Why don't you guys talk about what's really bothering you too?" She asks as she looks between Harrison and Meredith and Tru shoots her a surprised expression.

"What do you mean?" Harrison asks, nearly tripping over his words.

"I know that neither of you are candidates for sainthood either in my absence," Faith points out openly. Meredith glares at Tru. "Don't look at her, she didn't say anything. I'm asking **you **guys what's happened," she says forcefully.

They both look at Faith as if she's grown a second head. "What do you care anyways?" Harrison asks, trying not to lose his cool. "You've been gone and never bothered with us once you left. You don't have any right to know what has happened," he sneers.

"Yes, I have been gone. That much is obvious. But I do care and I am trying to make up for not being here so let me in. Talk to me, please," Faith says with a pleading edge to her voice.

Meredith shakes her head and walks out. Harrison looks between Faith and the door that Meredith just left through. "Sorry Faith," he says quietly with a shrug as he follows Meredith.

Faith looks at a sympathetic Tru. "Too much?" She asks with self-deprecating sarcasm.

"Too much," Tru agrees with a solemn nod.

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 1:30pm

Faith is staring indecisively at the phone with her heads resting on her hands. Tru is in the kitchen eating a sandwich and reading the paper, glancing up from it occasionally.

"Just call her and stop brooding," Tru orders, finally getting tired of watching her sister watching the phone.

"You're right, you're right, I know you're right," Faith states as she shakes her head, trying to clear out the stupidity clouds up there. 

She dials the number and waits. "Hello?" Lindsay answers after the second ring.

"Hey," Faith says, kicking herself for not being more creative than that.

"Faith, look-" Lindsay begins in a lecturing tone.

"No, no, no. It's Tru Linds," Faith lies and Tru quirks an eyebrow at her as she takes a sip of her root beer.

There is a sigh on the other end of the phone. "Tru, did Faith ask you to call to get me to talk to her?" She asks, exasperated.

"No, Faith didn't ask me to call. I'm calling because I think you should give her a chance to explain her side before you decide if you never want to see her again," Faith hurriedly responds and Tru comes over and takes the phone from Faith, who pouts.

"Tru, I'm not planning on never seeing Faith again, I just don't know how I feel about her having been convicted of murder and escaping prison. I mean, Jesus Tru, I don't understand how you could be so accepting of it," Lindsay rambles.

"But I'm not accepting at all. I don't know if a person could ever fully accept that, but I **am **trying to deal with it. I'm dealing with it because she's my sister and I love her just like I know you love her," Tru replies, sliding in that last part before Lindsay can argue it.

Lindsay sighs. "I know and I guess I could at least listen to what she has to say," she relents.

"Great. I can send her over after she gets out of the shower," Tru smiles, looking over at an ashamed Faith.

"She won't come over after her shower," Lindsay states, shaking her head, even though Tru can't see it over the phone. 

"Why wouldn't she?" Tru asks in confusion.

"Because she's going to stay there to protect you because the murder takes place during the day, remember?" Lindsay asks, though it is more of a statement. "So, just have her come over tonight…Please," she states, almost begging at the end.

"Sure thing Linds," Tru smiles as she hangs up the phone. "You're seeing her tonight at her place. Don't say I never did anything for you," she says firmly, trying not to smile. "And don't pretend to be me so you can make amends with your girlfriend either," she tells her, only serious this time.

"Yes, on all accounts," Faith nods with a slight smile.

**__**

Mansfield Cemetery- 6:00pm

With Tru at work, Faith finds herself on her way to Lindsay's apartment, cutting through the cemetery to stall for time to think of what to say. Suddenly she stops and walks back a few paces and pauses in front of a headstone. _Annabelle Marie Davies. April 14, 1960- December 24, 1993 She was the guiding light in a world of blinding darkness. _She reads to herself in the dark and empty cemetery. 

"Ain't that the truth," Faith whispers to herself as she reads and rereads the inscription to herself only to find a single tear drop into the dirt. "I miss you Mom. I'm so sorry that I am such a disappointment," she quietly apologizes as she rests her hand on the stone.

"Hello little girl. Wanna come to a party?" A menacing voice asks.

Faith whips around to find herself surrounded by nearly two dozen hungry vampires and she nearly kicks herself for not having felt them coming. "I think it's you guys that have found the party," she responds with courage she isn't totally feeling as of this moment.

**__**

Hotel- 6:15pm

"Okay, thanks…You too," Buffy smiles as Willow and Dawn enter the room with Chinese. "I just got off the phone with Giles," Buffy announces at their curious expression. "Seeing if he knew of any demons or anything that might be after Faith?" Willow asks as she sets down the containers of food.

"Well, before I could even ask about that, he said that the Council called him earlier this morning," Buffy tells them.

"Don't tell me, they were looking for Faith?" Willow asks, though she knows the answer.

"Yep," Buffy says simply.

"Giles didn't tell them she was here did he?" Dawn asks.

"He accidentally let them know she had come home," Buffy responds. "So, I think we know who may be out to get her," she states.

"But they could also be here to put her back in prison or take her to England to rehabilitate her even," Willow argues. "So we really don't know who exactly it could be still," she says regretfully.

**__**

Boston International Airport- Meanwhile…

Two men step into the airport terminal. One of them is tall and lanky with a mustache and is wearing a pair of black pants and a black lightweight jacket. The other is slightly shorter, but more muscular and has khaki pants and a plain black sweater.

"Let's go get this over with," the taller one says as they each grab a small duffel bag and exit the airport.

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Will Lindsay be able to deal with Faith's past? Will the identity of those two mysterious men be revealed? Find out in the next chapter. ;)

**__**


	8. The Men in Room 712

A/N: I sort of changed the timeline of what happened with Faith after Finch's murder in 'Bad Girls', but I didn't add anything or take anything out.

**__**

The Morgue- 6:30pm

Tru is sitting in the office, playing Minesweeper on the computer, waiting for something to happen. Davis walks in and sits next to her. Tru hit's a mine and the game is over, so she turns to look at him. 

"It's pretty dead here tonight Dave…no pun intended," she deadpans with a slight smirk on her face.

He looks at her with his usual nervous smile. "I've been thinking about what you told me about your sister," he tells her.

"And you think I'm crazy or my sister is crazy, don't you?" Tru asks with a frown.

"No, no. It's not that," Davis tells her, shaking his head. "I was thinking that maybe I could help," he offers.

"Davis, I don't know," Tru argues, shaking her head. "I just don't want to get you mixed up in all of this supernatural shit too," she says. He gives her a crushed expression and she sighs. "How did you want to help?" She finally asks.

"Well, do you remember that forensic program that I showed you when you thought you killed your ex professor?" He asks, his nervousness slowly giving away, and Tru nods, not sure where this is going. "Well, there is also a criminal database on the program," Davis smiles.

"Really?" She asks incredulously and he nods. "So we could know if it was anyone from…prison," she states, hesitating on the last word. "But what if they were from the government?" She asks her smile fading.

"There are ways around that Tru. We could find whoever fits the description easily," Davis tells her.

Tru smiles at him. "Thanks Davis. I'll think I'll give Faith's friend a call and ask her for some physical descriptions of these guys," she replies as she starts to look through her sister's address book, which somehow appeared in Tru's purse. Wink wink.

"Okay," Davis says with a smile as he casually walks out of the office again. Tru smirks and shakes her head as she finds the number and dials, eagerly anticipating getting this whole ordeal behind her and being able to _really_ catch up with her sister.

**__**

Mansfield Cemetery- 6:30pm

Faith goes flying headfirst into a tree as she is thrown by two vampires. As she hit's the trunk, she grunts as she lands in the snow. She stands up and shakes to get the snow off of her head and shoulders.

The two vampires charge her as she regains her composure. She then jumps up and breaks off a dormant branch and drives it home into one of them while ducking the other's punch. Then, she turns around quickly and dusts the last of them. "Dirty snow," she muses to herself with a smirk, looking at the gray spots on the white landscape. She tosses her makeshift stake to the side and walks the rest of the way to Lindsay's.

**__**

Hotel- 6:30pm

"Hey Buffy, I'm going to the machine to get a soda. You want?" Dawn asks as she makes her way to the door.

"No thanks Dawnie," Buffy responds, waving off her sister.

"Okay, be right back then," she says with a slight smile as she goes out to the vending machine in the main office. When she enters the office, she finds a tall, middle age man speaking to the desk clerk.

"Hi, I'm Jackson Montgomery from room 712. I wanted to see if you had an extra key for the room that I could use," he asks politely.

"Sure. Wait just a sec while I go get one," the desk clerk says as he goes off into a room behind him. 

Jackson turns around and faces Dawn, who finds herself looking on. "Hello," he smiles in his Texas drawl.

"Hi," Dawn responds shyly as she gets her drink from the machine.

"I'm Jackson," he introduces himself.

"Dawn," she says with a timid smile.

"Nice to meet you," he says, shaking her hand and giving her a look of slight familiarity.

"You too," Dawn says, growing wary of the expression the man is throwing at her. "I've got to…" she trails off as she points to the door.

Jackson nods with a knowing smile. "Okay then. Goodbye Dawn," he says quietly as she exits, turning around as the clerk returns with an extra cardkey.

"Here you go Mr. Montgomery," the clerk says as he hands him the key.

"Thank you," Jackson replies as he takes it and returns to his room. 

He enters the room and closes the door loudly enough to grab his partner's attention. "What is it Jax?" The shorter man asks, irritated.

"Ty, I just ran into the blonde one's little sister in the office," Jackson informs his partner.

"What are you talking about?" He asks groggily as he sits up on the bed.

"Both of them are here. That means that assassinating Faith will be harder than we originally thought," Jackson tells him in exasperation.

"Damn. That means we'll have to go about it another way," Ty states while rubbing his temples.

"Do you have any suggestions as to how we do it then?" Jackson asks skeptically. 

"Faith has a history here. People know who she was and who she hung out with. We can make it look like some random killing. A gang fight or drive-by. This **is **South Boston after all, these things have been known to happen," Ty states with certainty.

"Tyler, no. We can't do that because it will still be investigated," Jackson replies, shaking his head.

"Please, we have ways around that. They'll turn the other cheek if we tell them about it ahead of time and it will just be another 'unsolved' murder. Besides, it's not like anyone will miss her," he shrugs.

"I think that the blonde woman will be suspicious. I mean, her friend breaks out of prison and soon is killed. It sounds suspicious, even to me," Jackson points out. "We can always make it look like a suicide," he says after a slight pause, as he takes a seat on the end of the bed.

"How do you propose we do that?" Tyler inquires, beginning to like the idea.

"That knife she used to kill those two men is sitting in an evidence room in L.A. It was held there after her trial and conviction. One call and it could be sent here," he says conspiratorially.

"What does it matter what kind of knife we use?" The shorter man asks with confusion.

"It'll make it seem more authentic. Killing herself with the knife she used to kill others will give it the appearance of poetic justice, don't you think?" He asks with an evil grin.

"It will take a couple of days to get it sent here. We'll have to wait. And anyways, won't they-"

Jackson raises his hand to cut off his partner's question. "Neither party want to deal with her anymore. She is a massive liability and a menace to society at large. It was unanimous and so they have given us full discretion as to how to carry this out. They'll send us the knife," he says with finality.

"Okay then, I'll make the call," Tyler offers as he picks up the phone.

**__**

Lindsay's Apartment- 6:45pm

Faith leans in the doorway and knocks gently on the door, which promptly swings open. Lindsay blushes as Faith smirks at her, now knowing that she had been waiting for Faith by the door.

"Hey are you okay?" Lindsay asks as she sees blood on Faith.

"I'm fine," Faith replies in an obvious tone, but then looks down at herself. "Déjà vu huh?" She smirks.

"Don't joke," Lindsay chides as she ushers Faith into the living room. "Sit," she orders and Faith obeys, making sure she isn't going to get blood on the couch. "I'll see if I have a first aid kit or something," she says as she disappears down a hallway.

"It's probably just a scratch Linds," Faith calls, her words falling on deaf ears. She runs a hand, covered in dried blood, idly through her melted snow-soaked hair.

Lindsay returns with a small box with a red cross on the top. "You're in luck," she says as she hold up the case and sits on the coffee table in front of Faith. She takes a quick look at Faith, sizing up most of the obvious damage.

"I thought Tru was supposed to be the doctor," Faith weakly states, trying to hide her discomfort at being under scrutiny.

Lindsay sees that Faith has a cut above her right eye and a gash across her arm, cutting through the denim jacket Faith is wearing. "Take off your jacket," Lindsay orders with a stern expression, cutting any smart reply from Faith.

Lindsay gently puts alcohol above Faith's eye and Faith hisses. "Do you usually go picking fights with vampires?" She asks sternly, making Faith grunt in pain at the contact.

Faith gives her a look. "They jumped me. But I guess it was my bad for being in the cemetery in the first place," Faith shrugs.

Lindsay nods in understanding, knowing why Faith had gone to the cemetery in the first place and feeling bad for even making a comment about it. "So, care to tell me what happened in Sunnydale that would make you kill two people?" She asks, trying to sound conversational.

Faith winces nevertheless. "I guess I probably should explain myself, huh?" She asks rhetorically. Lindsay waits patiently for Faith to begin. "Well, you know I left when we were 15," she begins. "What you don't know is that I spent the next two years zigzagging across the country," she states.

"Wait, it took you two years to get out there?" Lindsay asks with surprise, causing Faith to grunt in pain as she applied to much pressure to the wound on her arm. "Sorry," she apologizes quietly.

Faith smiles slightly and continues. "Well, yeah. I didn't know another Slayer had been called. I didn't know until I got to San Francisco in September of '98 where I heard two vamps talking about being recruited by the mayor of Sunnydale to open the Hellmouth. So, I staked them and got to Sunnydale less than a month later," she shrugs.

"That was the first time you even heard of Buffy?" Lindsay asks.

"Yeah, my Watcher wasn't clear enough. I figured that once I was dead for good another Slayer would be called, not if I were to die for just a second," Faith tells her. "But, yeah, I heard there was another Slayer so I decided to check it out, see if I could help," she says. "Kakistos had been off of my radar for a few months so I figured he slipped up and got himself dusted or something," she smirks.

"Who's Kakistos?" Lindsay asks as if she had missed something somewhere down the line.

"He was the big nasty vamp that killed my Watcher and caused me to take off. I made sure he knew so I could lure him away from you guys here," Faith states, growing a little timid on the sensitive topic.

"So, where did things get out of control?" Is Lindsay's next question, trying not to sound to eager.

Faith huffs out a deep breath as she shifts on the couch. "Well…"

**__**

Hotel- 7pm

"Hey Dawnie, what's up?" Willow asks as she sees the perturbed expression on the young girl's face.

Dawn looks up to see that both Buffy and Willow are staring at her. "There was this guy in the office when I went to get a drink," she says with a strange expression on her face.

"Oh, guy. I should've guessed," Buffy jokes.

Dawn rolls her eyes. "I mean, he gave me this weird expression, like he knew me or something. But, I know I definitely didn't know **him**," she tells them.

"What did he look like? Was he British?" Buffy asks, narrowing her eyes.

"He was tallish and oldish," Dawn replies. "But he wasn't British, he sounded kind of southern," she tells them, scrunching up her face in thought.

"Buffy, come on, some weirdo pedophile doesn't make someone an assassin," Willow says to Buffy in regards to the man in the office.

"You're probably right," Buffy sighs as she sits down and continues her channel-surfing.

**__**

Room 712- 7:30pm

Tyler hangs up the phone with a self satisfied smile on his face. "They said they'd have

the knife here tomorrow, tomorrow night at the latest," he informs his friend.

"That's fabulous," Jackson replies before growing thoughtful. "Now all we have to do is figure out how to carry this out," he says furrowing his brows in concentration.

"She's staying with her sister right?" Tyler asks and Jackson starts to look through a thick manila folder. "What do we know about her?" He asks as Jackson nods.

"Truth Ann Davies. She works the night shift at the city morgue," Jackson reads. "Her home address is in here as well. So this is perfect, we can plan Faith's 'suicide' to be sometime tomorrow night," he states conspiratorially.

**_Lindsay's Apartment- 8pm_**

"So let me get this straight," Lindsay begins as Faith finishes up. "You killed a man and decided to make things better by joining forces with the enemy?" She asks rhetorically. "Tell me where the logic in that is," she all but orders.

Faith sighs and rubs her eyes. "I _accidentally _killed a man and I had to go to the Mayor to help B and her friends," she explains.

"Why? I still don't know how that makes sense," Lindsay replies with frustration.

"He knew who did it. He knew that it was the Slayers and he knew who the Slayers were," Faith states and Lindsay doesn't look too impressed. "The man had the power to send B and I to prison before his ascension. We couldn't have been any good to anybody by rotting away in prison as the guy ate her classmates and took over the world," she explains slowly.

"I see," Lindsay nods. "But I still don't understand why you felt that you had to go to him and, eventually, turn your back on them. There had to have been a better way to save both of your asses," she wonders.

"As you can imagine, I had to do something and I wasn't thinking particularly clear after this had all happened. After a short series of events, it seemed like the only choice," Faith tells her. "And besides, it worked out for B. I managed to get him to focus on something other than his murdered friend," she shrugs.

Lindsay lets Faith's words sink in a moment before scrunching up her nose. "That's _disgusting_," she says in a disturbed tone.

__

Faith sits there a moment before she begins to laugh. "Not like that. He told me I reminded him of his daughter back when he was still human and that's how he treated me…you weirdo," she chuckles.

"Oh," Lindsay blushes. "What series of events was it that led you to him?" She asks after a moment.

Faith pauses and looks down at her hands. "I was going to come home. You know, with Kakistos dead and me doing more harm than good, it just seemed like the right idea," she begins.

"What happened?" Lindsay prods.

"The next day I had to think fast and I told Giles that B was the one that killed Allen Finch," Faith admits.

"Why did you blame it on Buffy like that?" Lindsay asks, almost appalled.

Faith sighs. "I knew that Giles and everyone didn't like me very much, if at all, and they would never forgive me and think I did it on purpose, but I knew they wouldn't think twice about forgiving B," she says in a defeated tone. "It didn't work," she quietly states.

"What happened after that?" She asks again.

"Well, I went back to the hotel and started to pack. I was irritated and really pissed off and the last thing I wanted was company. However, Xander came knocking on my door wanting to talk because he thought we had a 'connection'," she says, laughing sardonically.

"You slept with him?" Lindsay finds herself asking, already knowing the answer.

Faith nods almost imperceptibly, keeping her head down and avoiding eye contact. "I threw him on the bed and started choking him. Then he yelled out 'come in' and I had no idea what was going on until I turned and Soul Boy cold-cocked me into unconsciousness," she continues shaking her head. "Then I woke up chained to a wall in Soul Boy's mansion and I let him go on in the 'heart to bleeding heart' manner. The only things bleeding were my ears at the end of his diatribe. Anyways, it was like an ambush as the Council's men tried to take me away," she finishes, trying to sound nonchalant.

Lindsay can see that all of these things had affected her deeply. "So you escaped the Council and went to the Mayor," she concludes.

"No," Faith states. "I tried to escape on this departing ship that night. Buffy found me and tried to get me to come back and 'get help'," she says, not bothering to hide her bitterness. "I was about to blow her off when we were jumped by some of the Mayor's vamps. We fought and a crate was about to fall on me when B pushed me out of the way and saved the both of us. Then I dusted the Mayor's right hand man to save B and I knew at that point that I owed her a lot more than saving her from one simple vampire. _That's _why I went to the Mayor, because I needed to help her just this one last time before coming home," she states. "But of course, that's not how things went down," she finishes, trying to stop the tears that are beginning to flow.

Lindsay envelops Faith into a much needed hug, which the other woman reluctantly returns. "Thank you for telling me Faith," she whispers into her ear.

"Thanks for listening," Faith replies, but suddenly kicks herself for being so corny. "I mean, you're the first person to actually listen to my side," she responds, trying to be casual.

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 12:30am

"Faith!" Tru shouts as she enters the apartment. "Faith! Where the hell are you?" She asks as she searches the apartment.

"Right here," Faith replies from behind her sister. Tru jumps and Faith chuckles. "I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth," she smirks.

"At 12:30 in the morning?" Tru asks skeptically. "Were you drinking or something and didn't want me to know?" She asks with a quirked eyebrow.

Faith shakes her head with a light smile. "I was getting ready to go to bed and brushing my teeth is something I do before going to bed," she answers as if her sister was a slower version of Forrest Gump.

"You still do that?" Tru asks amazed.

"Of course, it's the only good habit I picked up from the Mayor. Besides, just because I'm a Slayer, with have a short life expectancy, is no excuse for bad hygiene," Faith replies with a sheepish shrug.

"That's not funny," Tru states seriously as she subtly clenches the papers in her hand.

"What's that?" Faith asks as she points to the pages.

Tru, realizes that she has them. "Oh, I made up a composite picture on the computer of the two men sent to kill you," she tells Faith slowly.

"How did you get a description? The only person who would know is…Did you get a hold of Cordelia?" Faith asks suspicious.

Tru looks guilty as sin. "Uh, yeah I did, but it was only to help," she stammers.

"Oh, well. Let's see what we have here. Maybe I'll remember them from somewhere or something," she shrugs back.

Tru smirks as she hands them to Faith. "Anyone you recognize?" She asks curiously. 

Faith studies the pictures for a moment. "No, I don't remember them from anywhere," she states. "Maybe they're hired from the Council or something," she speculates for a moment. "We'll go show the pictures to Buffy, Willow and Dawn tomorrow. Maybe they'll recognize one of them," she says as she sets down the pictures.

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I just wanted to tell you all that when I had nearly finished this chapter, a glitch in my piece of shit laptop made me lose the last two pages. I just want everyone to know that it was really good and if you think it isn't so much now, remember that I tried to get it as close as possible. ;) 

And, also, the only reason why it took so long is that I can only access this file on my laptop, which wouldn't even come on up until now.

A million times sorry to all who read this.

**__**


	9. Confusion

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 8:30 am

"Good morning," Faith greets her sister as Tru groggily makes her way into the living room to join her sister in front of the television.

"How can you be this awake so early in the morning?" Tru asks with her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"What do you mean? It's only 8:30," she shrugs in reply.

"Do you ever sleep?" Asks Tru with a yawn.

"Sometimes I guess," Faith says noncommittally while casually flipping through channels on the television.

Tru looks between her sister and the TV as the channels keep changing. "If you can't pick a channel…" she trails off as she steals the remote from Faith.

"Hey," Faith protests as she reaches for it. "Give it back," she pouts as Tru keeps it just out of reach.

"No," Tru says sternly and Faith leans back in the couch and broods as Tru starts to flip through the channels herself.

"Like you're any better," Faith glowers. Tru just sticks her tongue out at her.

They both pause once the television hits The Today Show. "In other news, authorities are on a country-wide search for an escaped convict. Faith Adrienne Davies escaped from the Los Angeles Women's Correctional Facility. She is a convicted murderer and is not to be approached as she is dangerous and may be armed," Anne Curry states from the news desk as they flash Faith's mug shot on the television screen.

"No," Faith breathes out as she stands up and looks at her sister. 

"Hey, calm down. Just breathe, okay sweetie," Tru says in comforting tones as she holds on to her younger sister's shoulder. "Everything will be just fine," she says, hoping that she sounded more sure than what she is.

"It probably won't, but thanks for saying so," Faith replies, giving her a half-hearted smile.

"I will try and make it okay," Tru promises. "You aren't going back to prison," she states vehemently.

Faith sighs. "After all of this is taken care of, I'm going to have to leave again, you know that right?" She asks with a frown. "I can't stay here because if I do, they _will_ find me," she says.

"I don't want you leaving again. I want you to stay here with me and Lindsay and Meredith and Harrison. We can all be a family again," Tru smiles weakly through unshed tears.

"Let's go show these pictures to Buffy, Willow and Dawn," Faith says, changing the subject and Tru just nods numbly. As Tru walks to her room to get ready to leave, Faith just sighs with resignation that they can never go back and that she had her chance at being normal and being with her family and she blew it. She sits back on the couch and does what she's gotten really good at in the past few years…she waits.

**__**

Buffy's Hotel Room- 9:15 am

Buffy frowns as the news rebroadcasts the warning about Faith. She jumps as there is a knock at the door.

Willow chuckles at her friend as she goes to answer it. "Hey," she greets Faith and Tru with a smile.

**__**

"Hi," Dawn smiles as the two girls walk in. "What are you guys doing here?" She asks.

**__**

Buffy cranes her neck around and smiles at them. "Tru here was able to get her some pictures of what these guys probably look like and we were just coming to see if you recognized either of them," Faith says as she leans up against the doorframe.

**__**

Tru sets them down on the bed as Dawn and Willow come over to see them and Buffy leans forward. "Oh," Dawn blurts.

"You recognize one?" Faith asks, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Yeah, that's the guy that I saw last night," Dawn tells Buffy and Willow.

"The weirdo?" Willow asks.

"If they're the Council they probably already knew who you were Dawnie," Buffy states.

"No, Buff. Remember she said he was Southern or something," Willow states.

"Shit, do you think it's the government?" Faith asks curiously, earning a blank expression from everyone in the room. "This is bad," she says with a nod.

"No, it'll be fine Faith. You're here to keep Tru safe and we're here in case you need us," Willow reasons.

"That's not what I'm talking about Will," Faith tells her. "I've been here for a few days already. Cordy had her vision almost a week ago and nothing has happened yet," she sighs.

"That's good, right?" Buffy asks as if Faith was stupid.

"No. Because they know you're here, they probably had to change they're plan. Now, whatever we thought we knew about what was going to happen is useless," she says, sitting down in an empty chair.

"So, where does that leave us?" Tru asks.

"Square one," Buffy replies.

"Maybe they just gave up," Dawn shrugs and everyone looks at her. "Oh, we could see if they're still staying here in the hotel," she adds.

"Why didn't you think of that?" Faith asks Willow jokingly.

"Do you remember the guy's name or room number?" Willow asks Dawn.

"Jackson Montgomery and…in 712," Dawn says after taking a moment to think. 

"Well, what are we waiting for, let's get these bastards," Tru orders as she inches her way back to the door.

Buffy looks at the girl for a moment, not used to being given orders. "Yeah, let's go," she agrees after a second.

"Wait," Faith says before they can all get to the door. "What are we going to do when we come face to face with them?" She asks.

"We take them out," Tru replies as she cocks her head to the side, looking at her sister as if she had lost her mind.

Faith blows out a sigh as she leans against the doorway. "We can't just barge in and kill them," she reasons.

"Why not?" Buffy finds herself asking.

After taking a moment to gape, Faith picks her jaw up off the floor. "Just because they are trying to kill me doesn't mean they are the bad guys necessarily," she points out.

"Actually, that's exactly what it means," Dawn says obviously.

"Oh, so when Buffy was trying to kill me she was the bad guy?" She asks and nobody replies. "That's what I thought," she says as she nods her head.

"Okay, so what do you propose we do?" Willow asks anxiously.

"We find out who they're working for and then work from there," Faith shrugs as she looks for any opposition.

"Sounds good," Buffy answers slowly, wondering when Faith started to make sense.

**__**

Room 712

Tru knocks on the door and Faith bounces from one foot to the other as no one answers the door. As Tru goes to knock again, Faith sighs and kicks in the door and Buffy smirks.

"Well, that was a waste," Dawn says as they walk into the empty room. "Do you think they gave up?" She asks.

"Yeah, it's not like they made a move or anything," Willow responds as she glances at Buffy. "What do you think?"

"They could've left if they knew that we were here," Buffy replies uncertainly. "We really should keep a close watch though because Cordy never really gave us any kind of time-frame to work with," she finishes.

"I'll go and ask the guy at the desk if he knows what time they left," Tru offers as she turns and walks out of the room.

As the others file out of the room, Faith and Buffy remain alone. Faith is staring at the empty room with a stricken look on her face. 

"Hey," Buffy whispers softly as she sets her hand on Faith's shoulder.

"It doesn't make sense B," she says quietly. "They wouldn't just up and leave," she continues, shaking her head in disbelief.

"We don't know what they would've done. Maybe they gave up or whoever hired them changed their minds or something," Buffy tells the other girl reassuringly. 

"It's just too cut and dry. I think that this just got more complicated because you, Red and Dawn are here," Faith replies as she searches for anything she can in the room and coming up empty.

"Faith, there's really nothing we can do right now except wait," Buffy tells her.

"So, we're sitting ducks," Faith says with a resigned sigh. "Well, what's one more day right B?" She asks with a strained lightness in her tone.

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out," Buffy smiles and Faith just shoots her a weary expression as they exit the room.

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 5:40 pm

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Tru asks for the hundredth time this evening.

"Yes sister dear. I'll be five by five, you know me," Faith grins as she stretches.

"What are you going to do tonight while I'm at work?" Tru asks in her responsible big sister voice.

"Patrol later," Faith responds with a sigh.

"And Lindsay's coming over later too, so don't freak out if she's here when you get back from patrol," Tru informs her. "Did you want me to call Buffy and them to come over or help you or something?" She asks.

"Tru, go to work before you're late," Faith orders in exasperation. "I can take care of myself," she adds.

"Okay, okay," Tru smirks, backing down. "I'll see you later tonight," she says.

"I know," Faith replies right before her sister closes the door. Yawning, Faith goes to her room and lays down to get the rest she has been in serious need of.

**__**

Morgue- 6pm

"Hey Davis," Tru smiles weakly at her boss as he enters the room.

"What's the matter Tru…Everything okay with your sister?" He asks with concern.

"I hope so," Tru sighs and Davis gives her a look to continue. "I got worried and called Buffy for her to go check on Faith for me," she admits with a light smile. "Do I sound paranoid or what?" She asks as she shakes her head.

"No, you had a bad feeling and you acted on it," Davis tells her. Tru opens her mouth to reply, but the phone rings, cutting off any response she may have had. Davis answers the phone. "Hello…Yes…Yes she is…Okay," he says to the other person. "It's for you," he tells Tru, handing her the phone.

"Hello," Tru says into the receiver warily.

"Oh my God, Tru," the other person cries hysterically from the other end.

Tru feels her stomach sink to the floor at the tone of the other woman. "Lindsay, what happened?" She asks shakily.

"It's Faith, she…She killed herself," Lindsay sobs from the other end. 

"What?" Tru asks in a stunned tone.

"I got here and the paramedics were here and Buffy was here. She told me not to go into the bedroom, but I did and…Oh God Tru, she's on her way to the morgue," Lindsay cries.

Tru can feel her world crumbling as she hears those seven horrifying words. The doors to the crypt fly open as Marco comes in with a body bag. "She's here," Tru quietly says into the phone. "I'll see you as soon as I can get there," she tells her friend before she hangs up without waiting for a reply. "It's Faith," she informs Davis.

"Do you want to go home so you can tend to you friend and family?" Davis asks and Tru nods numbly as she walks out the door. Davis sighs as he goes into the crypt to process the body.

He walks into the crypt where Marco is puzzling over the body. "What's wrong?" Davis asks as he approaches, putting on gloves.

"I never thought I'd see Tru through here or that she would be a cutter," Marco replies.

Davis walks over to the body and looks at the girl's wrists. "It's Tru's sister," he tells the man.

"Oh, so she just left," he nods in understanding as he takes one last look at the young girl's lifeless body before exiting the morgue. 

Davis examines Faith's wounds and he wipes the blood away. As he does, he finds previous scars already present along her wrists. He then looks at the fresh cut and notices that it looks different from the others and also like it had been done at an odd angle, one that suicides never occur in. "I think I'd better run some tests," he mumbles to himself.

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 6:20 pm

Tru opens the door to see everyone sitting around looking somber. She goes right over to Lindsay and sits down next to her teary friend and they hug tightly.

Tru looks at the others. "Are we sure it wasn't a hit?" She asks weakly, grasping for straws.

"She used the knife she used to kill those people," Buffy nearly whispers. "I wish we'd gotten here sooner," she says, more to herself.

To this, Lindsay sobs and Tru thinks for a moment. "Knife?" She asks.

"Yeah," Buffy replies, confused.

"She didn't come here with a knife, security would've picked it up at the airport, especially after all of that terrorism stuff," Tru replies.

"Maybe Tru's right, maybe it was the hit," Lindsay says, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "She could never kill herself…well, not really," she finishes and Tru glares at her.

Before Buffy could ask what Lindsay meant, Willow pipes in. "I think they would've done it and hidden the body," she says slowly, giving a sympathetic smile at Lindsay and remembering how she was after Tara died.

The wheels in Tru's head are turning as she processes the information on the knife and as she realizes how sudden the whole thing was. "I have to go," she announces suddenly as she rises out of her seat.

"Do you need someone to come with you?" Dawn asks supportively.

Tru gives her a half smile, the one Buffy liked so much on Faith. "No, but thanks," she replies as she heads out the door back to the morgue.

**__**

Morgue- 6:45 pm

Tru comes into the morgue and runs right into Davis. "Oh, Tru, I was getting ready to call you," he says, startled.

"What?" She asks with confusion as she pauses in the office.

"The cuts on her arms did not match previous ones and the angles were all off," Davis tells her uncomfortably.

"Like, what, someone else did them?" Tru asks hopefully.

"Yes," Davis responds bluntly. "I did some tests and found that there was also a drug administered to her before her death," he continues as he looks on a clipboard at his notes. "Trimenthrahydramine," he finishes.

"What is that?" She asks as she goes to the door to the crypt to find her sister.

"As far as I could tell it's a muscle relaxer and a sedative. I've never really come into contact with it," he tells her honestly.

"Which one is she in?" Tru asks in regards to the drawers and Davis points to the one she's in. "Thanks," she smiles at him as she opens it up and waits patiently for Faith's cry for help, which doesn't come.

"Maybe it was really her time," Davis tells her after nearly ten minutes of nothing happening and Tru looks desperately at him. 

"But, all of the evidence points to her being murdered," Tru says quietly to herself more than Davis.

He puts his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "You died in that vision and the intended target was Faith. She was meant to save you and she did Tru," he tells her softly.

"No, no," Tru whispers to herself disbelievingly. "She promised that we would all be a family again," she sobs as she sinks to the floor.

"She died protecting you. That's what she came here to do. It was her destiny to help you so you could continue to help others," he says in the most comforting tone he can muster. "I'll let you say goodbye," he says as he leaves the room.

Tru brings herself to her feet and looks down at her sister. "I'm your big sister. I'm the one that's supposed to be protecting you," she whispers to Faith. "I was looking forward to getting to know you again and now I never will," she sobs as she takes a hold of Faith's hand.

There is a light squeeze on her hand and she looks up confused. "Please Tru," Faith whispers. 

Tru closes her eyes and her world seems to blur together. She opens her eyes and she is back in her room, a slow look of realization creeps to her face. Tru runs into the living room.

"Good morning," Faith grins from the couch as she continues her channel surfing.

Tru grins as if it was Christmas morning. "Yeah it is," she responds as a look of utter determination takes over her features.

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Is it good, bad or just plain ugly? Tell me if it was worth the wait. Worth the hours I spent trying to make this chapter not suck ass completely and utterly. ;)


	10. Today Again

**__**

Tru's Apartment- 8:30 am

Tru smiles at Faith as she continues to channel surf, not really finding anything on this early in the morning. Faith glances over at the perpetual grin on her older sister's face before discontinuing flipping through channels, letting it stay on the news.

"What?" She asks, turning to Tru, inadvertently letting her voice sound suspicious.

Tru shakes herself out of her haze and snatches the remote out of her sister's hand just as they show Anne Curry at the news desk getting ready to warn everyone about Faith. She turns off the television. "Nothing, I'm just so glad that you're here," she replies honestly with a grin.

Faith narrows her eyes and studies her sister for a moment. "What are you hiding?" She asks slowly, not taking her eyes off of her sister.

Tru sighs melodramatically. "Here I am sitting in front of my sister, whom of which I haven't seen in the better part of a decade, and she gets on my case because I am happy to see her. I would think that there would be a little more appreciation of the time we have together, but no…you're too busy thinking that I'm up to something," Tru finishes with a sigh.

Faith blinks hard and then looks at Tru. She cocks her head to the side and smiles slightly. "Are you finished?" She asks after a beat and Tru nods in response. "Good. Now what are you not telling me?" She asks again.

Tru sits there and gets ready to lie, but Faith shakes her head before she has the chance. "Today is one of those days," she says somberly, massaging the bridge of her nose and not looking at her sister.

Faith sits stunned for a moment. "So at the end of today I am supposed to die," she adds to her sister's previous comment.

"No," Tru harshly states as she turns to look at Faith. "If you were **_supposed _**to die, I wouldn't be reliving today," she explains to Faith. 

Faith calmly leans back into the couch. "Well, what do you propose we do then?" She asks challengingly. "Are you going to play babysitter and the two of us just sit here until tomorrow comes?" She asks sarcastically.

"If we just wait out today, then they could still come after you tomorrow or the next day. It will never end," Tru sighs, shaking her head. 

"So then we stop the bastards. Sounds good to me, let's go," Faith replies, standing up and ready for action.

"Do you know where you're going?" Tru asks with a smirk and a quirked brow.

"Um, that would be a no," Faith admits sheepishly as she sits back down. "What did we do yesterday?" She asks.

"We went to see Buffy and them, and then we barged in on the suspects' hotel room to find it empty," Tru explains.

"Well, let's go to the guys' room first, maybe we can still catch them," Faith says. "Get dressed and we'll check it out, okay?" She asks, knowing what the answer is beforehand.

"Sure thing, but I don't know if they've checked out yet or not," she admits slowly. "When I asked the guy at the front desk when they checked out, he said he wasn't on shift yet and didn't know," she tells her worn sister.

"Were they at the same hotel as Buffy, Willow and Dawn?" Faith asks with an inscrutable expression on her face.

"Yeah, they were in room 712," Tru says slowly.

Faith nods. "Go get ready and we'll check it out and maybe we'll get lucky," she orders Tru, showing no emotion at all.

"Okay, I'll be right back," Tru slowly replies, eyeing Faith warily before disappearing into her room to get changed. She throws on the first t-shirt and pair of jeans she comes across, grabs the pictures of the two men and exits her room to go to the hotel. "Okay Faith. I'm ready, let's get-" Tru pauses as she enters the living room and notices that her sister is missing "-going," she finishes as she puts her jacket on all the way and bolts out the door.

**__**

Room 712- 8:55 am

"Ty, hurry up," Jackson orders impatiently as he continues pacing the small room, waiting for his partner to finish packing his things. He looks out the window for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. "The cab's here," he tells him as the yellow taxi pulls up in front of the main entrance of the hotel.

Tyler sighs irritably. "Go on, I'll be right there. I just have a couple more things," he informs the taller man as he goes into the bathroom.

Jackson rolls his eyes. "Fine, I'll tell him to wait while you finish getting your shit together," he says as he takes his bag and moves to leave.

"And don't let that girl see you leaving either," he adds before the other man exits.

"Fine," Jackson grumbles as he makes his way downstairs to the cab.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Faith is exiting the taxi and paying the driver. She goes in and up to the clerk. "Where's room 712?" She asks bluntly. "My uncle is staying there and I wanted to visit him quickly before he left town," she smiles charmingly at the young man.

"Third floor and the fifth door on the right," he all but stammers at the brunette.

Faith grins. "Thanks," she winks as she begins to leap up the stairs, two at a time, before running into a tall familiar looking man. 

"Excuse me ma'am," he smiles weakly at the woman, who he recognizes, and tries to move past her.

"No," Faith nearly shouts as she grabs the guy by the arm and turns him around to look at him. "I want you to tell me who the fuck you and your little buddy are," she commands, beginning to get angry.

Jackson tries to keep his poker face, but finds it difficult due to Faith's penetrating gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about Miss," he weakly replies, but her grip strengthens and he winces as he feels a bone about ready to crack. "Okay, I'll tell you, just please, let go," he pleads.

Faith looks carefully at him, deciding if she should trust him. "Okay," she slowly replies as she releases her grip on him. Just as she does this, she feels a needle go into the back of her arm and she turns around quickly to see Tyler standing behind her. "What the-"

She gets cut off by a punch to the face by Tyler and she goes down like a ton of bricks down the stairs. "Do something," Tyler orders Jackson, who watches Faith hit the ground with an unpleasant grunt.

"Hey!" Buffy shouts as she exits her room to see the tail end of what has happened. "What's going on here?" She asks as the two men share a look and then flee, Buffy in tow.

Tru enters just as the men brush past her and Buffy close behind. She stands there, puzzled by what has just happened. She looks over though and finds her sister lying at the foot of the steps and the clerk standing over her, possibly just as baffled as Tru.

Tru approaches the two by the foot of the steps and bends down to look at her sister. She turns her unconscious form over to see a black eye forming. Faith groans at the movement and her eyes flutter open and she finds herself looking into her sister's eyes, so similar and yet so different. She shakes her head before she lets herself start waxing philosophical.

"How do you feel?" Tru asks her fallen sister.

"Like I was beaten and thrown down a flight of stairs," Faith jokes, until she sits up and has to lie back down due to her skull-splitting headache.

"Do you think you broke anything? Do you need to go to a hospital?" Tru asks, being the overprotective older sister that she is.

"Please. I'm a slayer. I couldn't break anything even if I wanted to," Faith smirks as she continues to lie down, staring up at the ceiling.

Buffy wanders back into the lobby with a perplexed expression on her face. "They got away," she informs the two girls when they see here enter.

"Great. Now what are we supposed to do?" Tru asks rhetorically. "Faith chased away any chance we may have had to catch them," she states, glaring at an unapologetic Faith.

"Fantastic," Buffy grumbles as she looks down at the other slayer on the ground. "Come on, we've got to find these guys," she says warily.

Faith moves into a sitting position and then goes to stand up fully, wincing in the process. "Mother fu-"

"Faith," Tru admonishes before her sister can complete that thought. 

Buffy is marveled at the chastised expression on the younger brunette's face before she shakes herself out of it. "Are you okay?" She asks.

"Yeah I just…" Faith begins, but pauses as a look of realization crosses her bruised visage. "Buffy, hit me," she orders the blonde.

"What?" Tru and Buffy ask simultaneously, confused by the other girl.

"Maybe she hit her head harder than I thought," Tru quietly states to herself. 

Faith glares at her. "Work with me here okay," she states to her sister before turning back to the slayer. "Hit me," she repeats. "And don't pull it either," she adds.

Buffy looks over at Tru, who shrugs. "If that's what you want…" Buffy sighs as she pulls back her fist and strikes at the dark slayer. Faith throws a punch at the same time. Both hits land simultaneously. However, Faith drops at the impact whereas Buffy doesn't even flinch at the other slayer's hit.

Tru's eyes widen as she, too, realizes what happened and Buffy looks confused between the two women. "Trimenthrahydramine," she whispers to herself.

"What?" Buffy asks, her puzzlement showing more so than moments ago, if at all possible.

"Faith told me about how you had to go through this test or something when you turned 18," Tru states, hoping that Buffy gets the hint.

"The Crucanthemum?" Buffy asks and Tru nods. "What does that have to do with anything?" She asks.

Tru sighs and rubs her eyes. "They gave you a drug that retarded your slaying ability. That is what they gave Faith. It's called Trimenthrahydramine," she informs the blonde slayer.

"That's what I thought," Faith says.

"And you decided that me punching you would help you test that theory?" Buffy asks as Faith returns to a standing position, albeit unsteady.

"It worked didn't it?" Faith asks, quirking an eyebrow as she rubs the back of her neck and tries to push down the pain.

Once she decides the two are finished bickering, Tru shifts the conversation. "Now we have to figure out where these guys are so we can stop them from trying to kill Faith tonight," she tells them.

"What makes you think they're going to attack her tonight?" Buffy asks.

"Care to explain this one sis?" Faith asks with a smirk and Tru lets out an exasperated breath.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry this chapter took so long to come up and that it is so short. I have a really good excuse though. I had my birthday this last weekend and I haven't had time to breath let alone write anything. 

As always, tell me how you like it, if you like it and if you think it is a waste of cyberspace. ;)

**__**

**__**


	11. Tru's Power

Buffy looks between Tru and Faith. "Tell me what?" She finally asks after neither of them say anything.

Tru sighs and her shoulders slump slightly as she looks at her smirking sister. "I hear dead people," she murmurs and Faith puts forth a valiant effort to not laugh. It doesn't work seeing as how she cracks up.

Buffy and Tru shoot her a dirty look as she does this. "What is that, like, a joke?" She asks Tru.

"No. It's legit B," Faith replies as she tries to get herself under control. "She was all sounding like that kid from the 'Sixth Sense', you know? 'I see dead people'," Faith giggles, grimacing as she holds her side.

Tru rolls her eyes, smiling nonetheless at her sister. "The thing is, when people die from unnatural causes, they come to the morgue. I process bodies coming into the morgue. When I do this, the **_dead_** corpses reach out and tell me that they need my help. The day rewinds and I have to spend that day trying to find them and save them," she elaborates to Buffy.

"Okay. So what, did today rewind?" Buffy asks trying to grasp what she had just heard.

"Um, that would be a yes," Tru answers.

"Then that must mean that…" Buffy's eyes widen in realization as she looks at a troubled Tru and an inscrutable Faith. "That means that Faith dies," she says.

"Nope. I **_died _**and then the day turned back so that big sis can prevent that," Faith replies nonchalantly.

Both of the other women look at Faith. "You seem okay with knowing that at some point you died," Buffy notes and Tru winces.

Faith shrugs. "I'm alive now. Besides, the day erased itself so it's like it never even happened," she reasons. "Which brings me to my next question," she states, looking at her sister. "How did they whack me?" She asks Tru.

Tru pales slightly before glancing briefly at Buffy, who quirks an eyebrow in curiosity. She swallows hard before looking back at her expectant sister. "They made it look like a suicide," she finally answers.

Faith's jaw opens slightly before she snaps it shut and shakes her head. "Oh," she simply replies. "We really should find those guys," she states as if nothing happened as she begins to walk off.

Buffy won't get a clue and she continues on as she and Tru continue walking with Faith. "So then you knew right away that it was the hit," she states with a confident nod.

"Actually, no I didn't. Nobody did, especially Lindsay," Tru adds the last part quietly, giving Faith a look clearly stating that she had better take this more seriously.

"Shut up Tru," Faith nearly shouts in exasperation as she turns to glare at her older sister. "Let's just not go there," she finishes more quietly.

Buffy seems stunned as she sees Faith's pleading expression mostly directed at Tru. "Am I missing something?" Buffy asks in frustration as she looks between the two women.

"No," Faith says as Tru says, "Yes."

Buffy sighs. "Okay then," she quietly states.

"Let's just see if we can find these bastards," Faith grunts. "B, get the others and we'll meet up at Tru's in 15. Sound good?" She asks, though it sounds more like a statement.

"Yeah," Buffy nods. "We'll be there," she informs the other woman.

After Buffy heads back to the hotel room, Tru shoots a glare at her sister. "We should've just told her," she says in an accusing tone.

"Honestly Tru, I don't want her to know," Faith tells her the older woman in irritation.

"Why not?" Tru asks in genuine confusion.

"Because I don't want her to constantly think and wonder about it, the woman tends to dwell on things. And besides, I really don't think I can handle her knowing that much about me," Faith sighs.

"And I repeat, why not?" Tru replies. "Why don't you want her knowing about your life?" She asks.

"Because after all of this, I am still going to have to see her on a regular basis," she slowly begins. "Besides, it **_is _**kind of personal," she shrugs.

"Why are you going to still see her on a regular basis, is she relocating to Boston?" Tru asks out of curiosity.

Faith looks at her sister seriously for a moment. "You don't think I'll actually be able to stay here do you?" She asks and Tru responds by looking down at her feet. "Tru, you know that the cops are going to be after me, hit or no hit. I'll just be a sitting duck if I stay here. I'm no good to anyone if I'm in prison," Faith explains.

"So, that's it. You're just going to run like always?" Tru asks rhetorically and Faith gives her a blank stare. "I don't believe you. After all of this, you are just going to up and leave us all again so you can save your ass," she nearly shouts.

"This isn't even about my ass. This is about yours, Harrison's, Lindsay's and Meredith's. What do you think the police will do when they find an escaped convict chillin'' in your apartment and find that they all knew about it? Do you think they'll just say 'Thanks, have a nice day'? No. They are going to say, 'You are under arrest for aiding and abetting'," Faith rants.

"Are you going to spend the rest of your life running Faith? Because that's what you're going to do if you are hiding from the authorities," Tru lectures.

"For one, the rest of my life won't amount to much because of my line of work. Second, I can always skip out on the country. And if I do turn myself back into the cops, then it'll be on my own terms and far away from you guys here. I really don't want you guys to have to see me arrested," Faith explains.

"Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I just want you to be safe and then we'll argue some more," Tru sighs, upset at the turn of conversation.

Faith nods and the two continue walking. "Where are we going anyways? This isn't the way to your apartment," she points out.

"No, it's the way to Lindsay's apartment," Tru informs the slightly younger girl.

"What? Why are we going to her place?" Faith asks, on the verge of whining.

"She was as much a part of the goings on after your death as any of the others. Besides, I think she has a right to be in on what's going on with her girlfriend, which she loves very much," Tru says pointedly.

Faith rolls her eyes at her sister's attempt at a guilt trip. "Okay," she agrees despite herself.

**__**

Lindsay's Apartment- 9:30 am

Tru knocks on the door as Faith leans against the wall next to the door frame as they wait for Lindsay to answer. "Don't pout Faith. You're too old to do that now," Tru tells her younger sister as she glances as the downcast expression of the other brunette. Faith glares at her sister, but before she can say anything, the door opens.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Lindsay asks with a sleepy yawn as she sees the twins.

"Morning sleepyhead," Faith smiles softly. "Garfield?" She asks with a broad grin at the other girl's choice of sleepwear.

Lindsay may not be fully awake, but she is awake enough to blush profusely. "Well, at least Garfield is better than Scooby Doo," she points out to her girlfriend.

"Not when yours have the little footies on them," Faith smirks.

Lindsay looks down at her pajamas and pouts. Tru decides it's time to interrupt before things get too smushy. "Look, as cute as this is, we have some serious stuff to deal with," she interjects.

Faith shuts up immediately and gives Tru another dirty look and Lindsay just looks concerned. "What is it?" She asks Faith, who doesn't answer. "Tru, what is going on?" She asks the other sister.

Tru sighs deeply. "I have this thing where dead people ask me for help and the day rewinds so I can stop them from dying," she begins.

"Wait, what?" Lindsay asks.

"Tru relives days so that she can prevent people from getting killed," Faith reiterates. Lindsay moves to protest. "It's no more unbelievable than Slayers, vampires and demons. Please, just believe us on this," she pleads and Lindsay just nods and looks at Tru to continue.

"I am reliving today so that…so that Faith won't be killed," Tru gets out quietly.

Lindsay looks over at Faith sharply. "You can't die," she says vehemently.

"Obviously I can or else we wouldn't be having this conversation," Faith snorts and is immediately met by a slap on the face from Lindsay.

"Don't say that!" Lindsay whimpers tearfully as she touches Faith's face where she just struck.

Faith is stunned by the fact that her girlfriend just hit her more than any actual pain. She touches Lindsay's hand. "I'm sorry. Everything is going to be fine. You know me, always acting like an ass," she smiles weakly and Lindsay nods with a small smile of her own.

Tru, for her part, was just as shocked by Lindsay's actions as Faith and Lindsay herself, but Tru was also upset that she didn't get to hit Faith first. "We're going to take care of this, Buffy and her friends are meeting us at my apartment so we can figure out what to do next," she tells her friend.

"Yeah, okay," Lindsay nods as she goes to her bedroom to get changed. Moments later, she emerges from her room, fully dressed. "So, how'd they do it?" She finds herself asking as they exit the apartment.

Faith clears her throat. "They, um, made it look like a suicide," she informs the other woman quietly as they begin walking towards Tru's apartment.

"They did what?" Lindsay asks as she stops in he tracks on the sidewalk.

"Yeah, they got a hold of the knife I used to…to kill Allan and the Professor and, um, cut my wrists," Faith replies, looking down at her feet and trying not to stutter.

Lindsay attaches herself to her girlfriend's waist after hearing that. "We didn't know it was the hit did we?" She asks Tru in a small voice after a moment.

"No," Tru replies simply, just trying to be honest with her friend. Lindsay just squeezes Faith harder as the finish getting to Tru's apartment. "We're here," she announces to Buffy and Co.

"Hey, we were beginning to wonder what happened to you…guys," Buffy states, only hesitating when she sees Lindsay holding onto Faith protectively.

"Had to fill Linds on what was going on," Faith explains, smiling softly at the woman next to her.

Lindsay lets go and dries her eyes on her sleeves. "We're going to kill those bastards," she says angrily.

"Yeah," Dawn readily agrees.

"No," Faith cuts in, earning strange looks from all of the others. "We need to know who sent them because they could always send more," she explains.

"You're right," Buffy grumbles back begrudgingly. "So, what do you propose we do then O Omniscient One?" She asks with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, where would you normally start?" Faith asks rhetorically.

"At the beginning?" Willow responds slowly in an obvious tone.

"No, at the end and work our way back," Tru points out, causing Faith to grin back.

"That doesn't make sense," Buffy replies, shaking her head.

"Sure it does. We know the ending, we just don't know why it ended like that," Dawn jumps in.

"We know I died and it was made to look like a suicide with the knife the Mayor gave me," Faith says, causing the others to wince slightly. "So, that leads us to…" she trails off.

"Where did they get the knife?" Willow states with a grin, having got it.

"They most likely had it shipped from the evidence room at the L.A. police department," Faith shrugs.

"Yeah, 'cause they couldn't bring it with them on a plane because of security," Willow says.

"We need to find out who checked it out then," Tru replies, looking at her sister. "You're going to hack into their files aren't you?" She asks Faith with a mischievous smirk.

"You know me too well," Faith rolls her eyes.

"You never told us you could hack into computers," Willow points out, remembering how they found out where Faith was.

"Yeah, well, the Sunny D gang already had it's resident computer geek, they really didn't need another one," Faith returns with a warm smile at the redhead, causing her to blush.

"Oh, hey, you can use my computer at work," Tru chips in after a moment.

"Let's go then," Lindsay chirps, nearly dragging Faith with her.

"We're going to the Morgue?" Buffy asks, almost incredulously.

"Like you've never seen a dead body before B," Faith snorts as they all exit the apartment.

**__**

The Morgue- 10:15 am

"Hey Davis," Tru greets her boss as they all enter.

"Hey D," Faith waves to him as she follows her sister in.

"Um, yeah. Hello," Davis stammers as the twins enter, followed by Lindsay and the others.

"Sorry, this is Buffy, Willow and Dawn," Tru introduces him to the other three women.

"Nice to meet you," he says politely with a nod of his head. "Tru, can I speak to you for a moment?" He asks.

"Um, sure. Hold on a minute guys," she replies as she follows her boss to the office.

"What are they all doing here?" Davis asks, more out of curiosity than irritation.

Tru sighs. "Long story short: Faith died and we're trying to stop it and catch the bad guys," she explains in a quick breath.

"I see. But who are all of those other people?" He asks, still unsure.

"Well, you know Lindsay of course. She's Faith's girlfriend. The others are Faith's…acquaintances from Sunndydale," she explains to him.

"Oh, I see. Well, tell that young one not to touch anything," Davis replies, looking out though the window.

Tru turns and sees Dawn touching tools over by a covered body on a slab. "Hey guys, come on," she calls to them, startling Dawn, who looks sufficiently embarrassed.

They all enter as Davis exits to do his autopsy. "So, let's boot this bad boy up," Faith says gleefully with the enthusiasm of a small child with a shiny new toy. "Unless you wanted to do it Red?" She asks Willow.

"No, you're the resident computer geek here Faith," Willow replies with a smirk.

Faith rolls her eyes, but smiles nonetheless. "Okey Dokey then," she says as she begins to work her way into the L.A. Police files.

"Why did you get into hacking files?" Dawn finds herself asking, earning a glare from her sister.

Faith smiles, never taking her eyes off the screen. "Same reason why I started picking locks…to fuck with other people's stuff," she grins as Lindsay and Tru roll their eyes.

"Faith…language!" Buffy admonishes.

"Whatever B," she humors the blond slayer. "Here we go, 'Evidenciary Records'. Case file 071386," she reads, remembering her case number. "Viola, 'Murder Weapon: hand carved knife.' It was checked out for inspection two days ago by…" she trails off.

"Special Agents Jackson Montgomery and Tyler Delgrassi. They're FBI," Buffy murmurs to herself, looking at a paled Faith and placing a comforting hand on the brunettes shoulder, much to Lindsay's chagrin.

"Well, this changes things," Tru understates.

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Love it? Hate it? Let me know.


	12. FFFeds?

Faith leans back in the seat in front of the computer with a stupefied expression. "Th…this is ju…just g…gr…great," she stutters nervously.

Lindsay rubs her girlfriend's shoulder comfortingly. "We know who they are now, so we should be able to find them at least," she says in soothing tones.

"Wh…What…ev…ever," Faith stammers again, slamming her fist down on the desk in frustration, regretting it almost immediately. "Ow," she whimpers quietly.

Buffy giggles, regretting it almost immediately when Willow jabs her in her side. "Ow," Buffy whines, repeating Faith's previous sentiment.

"So, FBI, that's something isn't it? I mean, I don't know what we can do with that yet, but at least we know who's after her," Lindsay says.

"It isn't th…that s…sim…simple Linds," Faith sighs, rubbing her eyes. "Th…they h…ha…had," she grunts in frustration. "Tru?" She asks her sister for help, sounding almost whiny.

Tru nods in understanding. "They had used trimenthrahydramine, the same thing only the Watchers use on slayers to temporarily disable their powers," she explains.

"So, they had to know that Faith was a slayer and had to be in contact with the Council," Willow adds. "Maybe they're, like, double agents or something," she offers after a pause.

"So, I guess we're screwed, huh?" Dawn asks idly as she begins playing with Tru's paperclip necklace.

Faith leans over and takes the object away from Dawn, much to the dismay of the teen. "N…no, j…ju…just me," she sputters arduously.

"When did you start stuttering?" Buffy asks curiously.

Faith opens her mouth, but then thinks better of it and looks to her older sister with a crooked grin. "Since forever," Tru responds. "She got control over it in, like, ninth grade but she relapses whenever she's stressed," she explains to the others.

After a moment of everyone staring at her, Faith scowls. "Wh…What?" She growls as menacingly as she can.

"Nothing, it's just…" Buffy begins, trailing off and Faith quirks a brow for her to continue. "I've never heard you stutter. Not with Kakistos or Allan or in the apartment, never. I guess it's just weird," she explains, mumbling the last part.

"There's a lot about her that you don't know," Tru points out, not mindful of the glare her sister is shooting at her.

Buffy moves to say something, but Faith takes a deep breath and interrupts. "Focus please," she says slowly, making sure to annunciate each word. "Crisis here," she adds.

"So, what should we do to keep Faith alive?" Willow asks carefully.

"Probably find out where they are," Tru states anxiously.

"Duh," Buffy says obviously. "But how do we do that. They aren't exactly in the phone book," she points out.

"I was just getting to that," Tru grinds out impatiently. "These guys have to keep record of where they're at so in case they get in trouble, backup can bail them out or at least see where their mission went wrong," she explains.

"I see. So now you want us to find their next entry," Willow states in understanding.

"I'm on it," Faith says briefly, breathing deeply to get her voice under control.

"So, what happened after we found Faith when this happened?" Dawn asks out of nowhere.

"Dawn!" Buffy admonishes her sister, missing the way Faith pales.

Tru looks like a deer caught in the headlights before she takes a deep breath. "Well, one of you called the paramedics and shortly after they arrived, Lindsay got there. She called me at work and as we were talking on the phone, her body came in," she begins.

"Oh my god," Willow murmurs in shock and Faith keeps working, trying not to appear as anxious as she is.

"I left because I really…couldn't face seeing my sister like that," Tru continues. "I got home and we were talking and the knife came up and she didn't come with a knife because of security obviously so I came back here, to the morgue," she tells them.

"Then what happened?" Lindsay finds herself asking, putting her hand on Faith's arm comfortingly as she does so.

"Well, Davis told me that he found the drug in her system and the angle of the cuts didn't…they weren't consistent…they…" Tru finds herself at a loss at how to phrase it so as to spare her sister the explanation.

"They didn't match her scars?" Lindsay asks, making Tru's whole evasion process pointless.

"Scars? What scars?" Buffy asks.

Lindsay looks at the downcast expression of her girlfriend and Tru's troubled expression. "Oops," she says sheepishly.

"What is going on?" Buffy all but demands as she sees the looks at the other women's faces.

Faith begins in a deliberately slow and measured tones. "When I was younger…Growing up…" she trails off, not knowing what exactly to say before just taking a break to breathe. "I used to think too much," she states enigmatically.

"I don't understand," Willow admits, shaking her head and voicing the same thoughts of her friends.

"I always, kind of, would…get lost in my own head and I would get depressed a lot," Faith explains quietly. "So, when I was about 12 I st…start…started to c…cut after Mom d…died," she informs them, much to their surprise.

"It started getting worse after she had just turned 13, when you got called," Tru interrupts and Faith nods.

"Their dad was no help, but then, Faith ran away," Lindsay adds.

"I didn't st…stop until Wes came and I got out of pr…pris…prison," Faith stammers, scowling with every break.

"Why did you wait until then to stop?" Dawn asks curiously, her one-time experience with cutting in mind. She ignored Willow and Buffy's glares.

"Up until then I f…fig…figured my life to be o…over. But then th…they needed me in L.A a…and I re…real…ized that m…maybe s…some…one so…somewhere may n…n…need me," she works out.

"We needed you. **_I _**needed you," Buffy stresses the last part.

"Well, you sure have one hell of a way of showing it!" Faith shouts in one clear sentence. "Always casting me as…aside like some lowly peon, a useless un…undesirable, not worthy of yo…your company. I was j…just second-string sl…slayer girl to you," she growls out, surprising them all with her broken ferocity.

Buffy looks at the other girl, her mouth agape and not knowing exactly what to say. Willow speaks first. "It's not exactly like you were very forthcoming. Always hiding things from us, never telling us about your past or anything," she argues back.

"You ne…never asked and probably woul…wouldn't have even c…cared anyways. I wa…wasn't going to even wa…waste my breath," Faith cites. "And as for not be…being forth…forth…coming, I was no…nothing but nice to you g…guys when I got to Sunny-D," she adds.

"Hey, everyone, just retract your claws and stay focused here," Lindsay orders. "Did you find a log or something yet Faith?" She asks her girlfriend gently.

After taking a moment to give Lindsay an apologetic smile, Faith nods. "Yeah, it's right here," she says after getting her breathing under control.

"Their last entry was twenty minutes ago," Tru states as she reads over her little sister's shoulder.

"Well good. Maybe we can find out where they are and be back in L.A. by dawn…no pun intended," Buffy states in reply, earning a slight glare from her sister.

"It says that they were found out by the target and her blonde counterpart and have traveled to a different hotel. They are staying at the Maple Falls Inn, Room 950," Tru reads off of the screen.

"Okay then, let's go get them," Buffy states with enthusiasm.

"Hey, wait. We need a plan," Faith interjects.

"I thought you didn't 'do' plans," Dawn points out with curiosity.

"Well, we can't just go in there, all g…guns 'a blazin', beat the sh…shit out of them, threaten the…their pets and ex…expect it to all be right in the w…world again," Faith snarks back mockingly.

"So what do you expect us to do then?" Buffy asks in frustration and irritation.

Faith sits back in her seat and lets out a long suffering sigh. "They're Feds, so we have to strike some kind of deal with them," she says coherently.

"Like what?" Willow asks.

"I go back to prison and they leave everyone else alone," Faith states.

"What? Are you kidding?" Lindsay and Buffy nearly shout.

"Did I stutter?" Faith grinds out sardonically. "There's no oth…other way. If we don't offer them that, th…then they will keep hunting me down l…like a dog until I die. Not to men…mention that none of you will g…get a moment's peace with them h…hounding you," she argues.

"Please, can we just get to their hotel and we can wing it from there?" Tru asks diplomatically.

"Yeah, whatever," Faith mumbles, her mind set on what she has to do.

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A/N: This took me ten shades of forever, I know. I also know that whoever is reading this is pissed that his chapter is so damned short. I guess I just needed a transition chapter from ch.11 and, hopefully, a soon to be ch.13.


End file.
